Following a prolonged stretch duel, 5-1 shot Lucky Primo got the better of longtime leader Got Even to win the $175,000 Lava Man California Cup Classic by a tenacious half-length.
With jockey Tyler Baze aboard, Lucky Primo flashed speed from the start and soon found himself racing in second place, 1 1/2 lengths behind the front-running Got Even. Thirtyfirststreet was tracking them both in third, followed along the inside by Rousing Sermon and on the outside by race favorite John Scott. Holladay Road and Woodmans Luck were content to trail the field.
Through even fractions of :23.97, :47.59, and 1:11.47 Got Even continued to lead the way, but coming into the homestretch Lucky Primo moved up to challenge on the outside and soon stuck his head in front. However, Got Even was not going to give in without a fight, and the pacesetter battled back throughout the stretch. Victory appeared possible for either runner, but Lucky Primo never really let Got Even gain back any ground, hanging on gamely to win the race in gritty fashion. The final time for 1 1/16th miles was 1:42.05 seconds.
John Scott rallied mildly to finish third, three-quarters of a length behind Got Even. Rousing Sermon, Woodmans Luck, Holladay Road, and Thirtyfirststreet completed the order of finish.
The winner is a six-year-old gelded son of Atticus out of the Personal Flag mare Live Free Or Die. Trained by Joshua Litt and owned by J B K Stable and Jason Litt, Lucky Primo has now compiled a record of 6-3-3 from 16 starts, with earnings of $437,616. His biggest previous victory came in the 2008 California Cup Juvenile Stakes.
-Keelerman
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