Merit Man stamped himself as a serious contender for the $500,000 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint when he romped to a decisive victory in the $100,000 Tim Conway Stakes on Saturday afternoon at Santa Anita Park.
Ridden to victory by Patrick Valenzuela, Merit Man flashed speed from the start, battling for the early lead while racing three-wide through fractions of :21.81 and :45.22 seconds. Turning for home, he left fellow pacesetter South Floyd behind and drew clear late to win by 5 1/2 lengths. The final time for six furlongs was 1:10.56 seconds.
South Floyd tired somewhat in the homestretch, but still held second by 2 1/4 lengths over the late-running No Rachmones. Zeewat finished fourth after trailing for much of the race, while Scherer Magic trailed the field after pressing the pace.
The winner is a son of With Distinction out of the Precise End mare Precise Strike. He is trained by Robert Hess Jr. and owned by Bruce Chandler, Double Kee LLC, and Purple Shamrock Racing.
-Keelerman
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