HOT SPRINGS -- The rain fell just before the overwhelming favorites Thursday in the $300,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap.
Alsvid, who went off at 9-1, reeled in Ivan Fallunovalot, the 2-1 second betting choice, in the final sixteenth to earn his second consecutive victory at Oaklawn Park after six consecutive runner-up finishes.
"Winning the race feels so much better," trainer Chris Hartman said. "He's been a bridesmaid so much at this meet that it's finally nice to get him his first stakes win."
Alsvid paid $21, $7.40 and $4.60 in the 42nd running of the Grade III race. He covered the 6 furlongs in 1:08.36, the fastest 6-furlong effort of the meet and the fastest in the Count Fleet since Bonapaw won it in 1:08 in 2001.
Ivan Fallunovalot, with Calvin Borel in the saddle, paid $3.60 and $3.40. Picko's Pride, a 35-1 shot who held the lead for the first half of the race, paid $10 to show. Gentlemen's Bet, the 4-5 post time favorite, finished last in the seven-horse field.
Jockey Chris Landeros kept Alsvid, a 6-year-old gelded son of Officer, 3 lengths back for more than 4 furlongs, and Alsvid was still 2 lengths back with an eighth of a mile to go, before making his winning move.
Alsvid passed Ivan Fallunovalot approximately 70 yards before the finish line.
"He broke running today and he knew what was going on," Landeros said. "I have a lot of history with this horse and I knew to take my time."
A heavy downpour hit the track about five minutes before the horses entered the gate, but it didn't stop Picko's Pride, returning from a 5 1/2-month layoff for trainer Mac Robertson, from setting a blazing pace.
Picko's Pride jumped on top early, and with a strong south wind at his back, set fractions of 21.31 and 44.05 at the first two calls. It only served to set up Alsvid's winning effort.
"I knew they were flying up front and it set up perfect," Landeros said. "I was just waiting for that last 3/16ths punch from him and I caught it at the right time today."
Ivan Fallunovalot, winner of the Feb. 7 King Cotton Stakes, seemed poised to earn his third victory in his past four races at the top of the stretch when he caught Picko's Pride, but he did not have enough staying power to hold off Alsvid.
"He ran his heart out and he ran his race, but then they came out and got him," said Tom Howard, Ivan Fallunovalot's trainer. "He did his best, but it wasn't enough."
Gentlemen's Bet never found his best step. The winner of the Hot Springs Stakes on March 7 started in the middle of the field and faded to last by the race's halfway point.
"He wasn't comfortable on his right side," Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith said of Gentlemen's Bet. "He kept trying to get off of it and I tried a couple of times, but he wanted no part of it. He's too classy to try and make him do something he didn't want to do. He's usually eager when he runs, and I decided to be cautious with him."
Ron Moquett, trainer of the beaten favorite, said it was obviously not the race he was hoping to see out of his 6-year-old.
"You win a few you don't think you will, and then sometimes you don't run as well as you think you could have," Moquett said. "As long as the horse is all right and the rider is OK, we'll rack them up and do it again."
Alsvid won for Black Hawk Stable of Elk City, Okla. Alsvid improved his record to 12 victories in 29 starts and he has earned $933,465.
Hartman's victory was his 30th of the meet. He leads Steve Asmussen 30-26 with two days (22 races) left in the meet.
"Who's counting?" Hartman said. "I don't know how many horses Steve has left to run, but I'm sure he's emptied his barn. I've emptied my barn too.
"I would love to be the leading trainer at Oaklawn," Hartman said. "It would be a highlight of my career, for sure, but this win is very gratifying, especially for the horse."
Sports on 04/10/2015