DEL MAR, Calif. (AP) Long-shot Gold Rush Dancer rallied on the far outside entering the stretch and held off Tough It Out by a half-length Wednesday in the $150,000 Real Good Deal Stakes at Del Mar.
Sent off at 14-1 in the race for California-bred 3-year-olds, Gold Rush Dancer ran seven furlongs in 1:21.90 for his third straight victory and fifth in 12 starts. Flavien Prat rode the colt for trainer Vann Belvoir and owner John E. Parker.
''He just might be better on dirt than he is on grass,'' Prat said. ''The seven-eighths felt just about right. He's fast and you can put him anywhere you want. That makes for good trips. Then again, you've got to give credit to the trainer. When you ride the best horse, it make the job much easier.''
Gold Rush Dancer paid $30.20, $11 and $6.20. He earned $85,500 to increase his earnings to $379,923.
''Flavien is on a roll right now. He's a beautiful rider,'' Belvoir said. ''We're going to go back to the grass next in the Del Mar Derby.''
Tough It Out returned $9 and $4.80, and favored Mrazek paid $2.40 to show.
''Good trip. No excuses,'' Mrazek jockey Mario Gutierrez said.
