Turfway: In the stretch, Snack pours it on

Snack, appearing hopelessly beaten at the top of the stretch, unleashed a furious stretch run to win the $50,000 by 3 1/4 lengths over a muddy track.

Taking advantage of a roughly contested race with a fast pace, jockey Ramsey Zimmerman allowed Snack to settle in his usual position toward the rear of the pack, more than 10 lengths behind the leaders. Three horses - Call the Lord, Mechanic, and Eyeforglory - battled through early splits of 22.26 seconds and 44.50 in the 6 1/2-furlong race. Snack was unable to make up any significant ground on the backstretch or the turn, but once the leaders grew rubber-legged in the stretch, it was a different matter.

He blew by those racing in mid-pack, and then motored past the front-runners in the final sixteenth of the mile, catching Eyeforglory in the final 70 yards. Snack raced 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:17.53, paying $21.

Eyeforglory and Mechanic, who crossed the wire second and third, respectively, were both disqualified for interference that occurred at different stages in the race. The stewards placed Eyeforglory fourth for drifting in on the backstretch, and Mechanic was placed sixth for drifting into another rival in the stretch.

In the wake of the disqualifications, favored Truly Native was moved up from fourth to second, and Cat Shaker from fifth to third.

Snack, a 3-year-old son of Afternoon Deelites owned by Penny Lauer and trained by Mike Lauer, won for the third time in seven starts.