It was an unconventional trip, but it all worked out in the end.

Mr Piloto raced along the outside rail to win the Grade 1, $1.9 million All American Futurity for Quarter Horses in a three-way photo on Monday, edging favorite and fastest qualifier Jls Mr Bigtime by a nose. It was another nose back in third to Dominyun.

The All American is the world’s most famous race for Quarter Horses, and it helped Ruidoso Downs close out the meet with an ontrack crowd of 21,402.

Pursue a Dream had compiled an impressive record over the Remington Park turf course leading up to the track’s $125,000 DeBartolo Memorial on Monday. But there was just one thing missing, a stakes win. Pursue a Dream took care of that detail with a three-quarter length win over Heza Wild Guy in what was one of the meet’s richest grass stakes, and in the process improved his Remington turf record to 5 for 8.

“This horse runs hard every time you bring him over,” said Mike Biehler, who trains Pursue a Dream.

Turallure capped a terrific weekend for jockey Greta Kuntzweiler when he pulled a 10-1 upset in the third running of the $50,000 Cliff Guilliams Memorial on Monday, closing day of the 27-day meet at Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky.

Always prominent in the 1 1/16-mile turf race after breaking from the rail, Turallure ($23) got the best of the 6-5 favorite, Inca King, following a prolonged duel, then finished a length clear of Brass Hat, the $2 million earner who was making his first Ellis appearance.

Dynamic Time relished the move to both two turns and the Louisiana-bred ranks on Monday, when he powered to a 4 1/4-length win over 1-2 favorite Smitty’s Moonshine in the $150,000 A.L. “Red” Erwin at Louisiana Downs.

The race was one of four restricted stakes on the card worth a cumulative $400,000.

Dynamic Time ($20.80) went to the lead at the start of the Erwin, which was run at about a mile on firm turf, and dueled with Prince of April through six furlongs in 1:12.49. He then shook that rival and pulled clear through the stretch to win in 1:37.06.

Mr. Shadar came from off the pace to win the $50,000 Sun Sprint Championship at Northlands Park on Monday.

Under a patient ride by Heribert Martinez, Mr. Shader saved ground while Inuit Fisher and Zuri Mwana were dueling through honest fractions of 22.40 and 45.60 seconds in the 6 1/2-furlong sprint. Mr. Shader moved up to reach contention on the stretch turn and slipped through between horses at the top of the stretch. He took the lead in midstretch and then held off Andiotis, who went three-wide around both turns, to win by a length.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - For the first time since 1882, Saratoga conducted a 40-day meet, and though there were declines in average daily handle and attendance from last year's 36-day season, New York Racing Association officials deemed the expanded meet a success.

Daily average all-sources handle was $13,791,518, down 3.4 percent from last year's daily average of $14,273,257. Daily average on-track handle was $2,867,329, down 7.8 from last year's $3,111,274. Daily average attendance was 21,957, down 7.5 percent from last year's average of 23,734.

Vanquisher continued his penchant for winning close decisions when he barely overtook Timeless Fashion to win Monday night’s $75,000 Labor Day Stakes at Mountaineer Racetrack.

It was the third straight stakes victory for the 6-year-old Vanquisher ($6), with all three wins by a half-length or less.

DEL MAR, Calif. - Gotta Have Her successfully defended her title on Monday in the Palomar Handicap, winning the Grade 2, $150,000 grass race for older fillies and mares after overcoming a dawdling pace.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Tom Proctor chose to run Keertana in Monday’s $100,000 Glens Falls Stakes at Saratoga to see if his filly could possibly be considered for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf later this year.

After Keertana slid up the rail under Jose Lezcano and drew clear for a 3 1/4-length victory in the Grade 3 race, Proctor got his answer.

“Wouldn’t you have to try her off that race?” Proctor said. “I was seeing if I could go to the dance, that’s all.”

CINCINNATI – Tanzana battled to victory Monday in the $100,000 Cradle Stakes at River Downs in a symbolic tribute to the struggles his trainer, Garry Simms, has endured in recent months.

With Leandro Goncalves riding, Tanzana was kept a few lengths off the pace of the Cradle, a 1 1/16-mile turf race for 2-year-olds, before surging late to prevail by a half-length over longshot Conservative Value.