ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) Holy Lute won the second division of the $100,000 Eddie D. Stakes by 1 1/4 lengths Friday on opening day of Santa Anita's fall meet.
Ridden by Jamie Theriot, Holy Lute ran 6 1/2 furlongs on the revamped hillside turf course in 1:11.23 and paid $23.40, $9 and $7.60 at 10-1 odds in the Grade 3 race.
Boozer returned $6.80 and $4, while 3-1 favorite Guns Loaded was another head back in third and paid $4.60 to show. Those two horses survived a claim of foul interference in mid-stretch by Brice Blanc, who was aboard fifth-place finisher Ohio. The stewards ruled there would be no change to the order of finish.
Trained by Jim Cassidy, Holy Lute earned sixth win in 27 career starts and second in a row. The victory, worth $60,000, increased Holy Lute's career earnings to $507,332.
''He ran phenomenal,'' Theriot said. ''I told Jim he would run big.''
Cassidy said Holy Lute would be pointed toward the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita on Nov. 5.
In the race's first division, Ambitious Brew won by 1 3/4 lengths under Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith.
Ambitious Brew ran the distance in 1:11.57 and paid $13.20, $5.40 and $4.20.
Richard's Boy returned $6.40 and $4.60, while Ireland-bred Hunt was another length back in third and returned $2.40.
Lone Shipman, a filly who shipped in from New York, finished sixth as the 8-5 favorite.
Trained by Marty Jones, Ambitious Brew had finished second by a nose two years ago in the race named for retired Hall of Fame jockey Eddie Delahoussaye, who presented the trophy.
Ambitious Brew has four wins in eight career starts and earnings of $499,225. He's also headed to the BC Turf Sprint.
