Turfway: Plutonium, El Gran Sol combine for $1,380 exacta in Dust Commander

Plutonium led every step of the way in posting a 30-1 stunner Saturday in the 30th running of the $50,000 Dust Commander Stakes at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky.

Luis Martinez Jr. was aboard for the 8 1/4-length runaway, while El Gran Sol, at 49-1 the second-longest shot in the field, followed the winner the entire way in easily holding second. Proceed Bee, the 9-5 favorite, was third, another 2 1/2 lengths back. Max Silverhammer, the defending champion, was fourth at 12-1.

Plutonium, a gray 5-year-old gelding, won a stakes for the first time in 25 career starts. Owned by Diane Garland and Sondra Mayne and trained by Ron Brown, he returned $62.20 after finishing the one-mile distance in 1:37.51 over Polytrack. Overall, Plutonium now has won seven times and earned just more than $193,000.

Tend was an early scratch, leaving a field of 11 older horses.

Predictably, the mutuels were huge, with the $2 exacta (9-10) paying $1,380.80; the $1 trifecta returning $6,300.80; and the 10-cent superfecta worth $9,330.93.

The win was the third of the 11-race card for Martinez.

The trophy was presented to the winning connections by Mike Manganello, who rode Dust Commander to his 15-1 victory in the 1970 Kentucky Derby.