Wild Promises romps in Luther Burbank

SANTA ROSA, Calif. - Defending champion Wild Promises ($2.20) had little more than a public workout as she captured the $53,000 Luther Burbank Handicap by eight lengths over entrymate Victorina at the Sonoma County Fair on Saturday.

With only four fillies and mares racing after the scratches of Pams Pompallier and Princess Hiawatha, there was only win wagering in the 1 1/16-mile turf race.

Wild Promises was content to let maiden Rhythm in My Life open an eight-length lead down the backstretch and was still 1 1/2 lengths behind after six furlongs. But her rival stopped badly, and Wild Promises continued strongly to the finish in her first start since finishing 10th in the Grade 3 Honey Fox on March 7 at Gulfstream, a race that snapped a streak of six straight stakes victories.

Victorina, who had not run since winning the Campanile on Feb. 7 at Golden Gate Fields, held off Shes a Lucky Wager by a head, with Rhythm in My Life another 21 lengths back.

Wild Promises, a 5-year-old Wild Event mare owned by the Estate of Harry Aleo and trained by Greg Gilchrist, earned $31,000 to boost her lifetime earnings to $687,610, with 13 wins in 19 starts.