Horse racing newsletter: A feel-good story from Los Al

ANNANGEL (IRE) sprinted to the front, cleared outside rivals, saved ground into the lane, urged right-handed in the drive and held well. GYPSY BLU raced off the rail up the backstretch, went outside a pair of rivals on the turn then four wide into the stretch, finished willingly three deep through the final furlong and gained the place. LUCKY PERIDOT raced off the pace then took closer order past the half-mile pole, saved ground around the turn, chased the winner inside pair of rivals in the late stages and was edged for second. AN EDDIE SURPRISE chased along the inside into the turn, exited the bend two wide, chased between rivals late and was outkicked for the place and show. SWEET RAFAELA stalked the leader off the inside then moved into the two path, continued two wide into the stretch and never responded to urging. POSH HOLLY (IRE) dropped back early, tracked off the rail then angled into the two path, moved out a path leaving the turn and was never a factor. DIM LIGHTS chased outside a rival or two wide into the turn, moved out path around the bend and came three wide into the stretch and weakened.

BIG STORY prompted the pace from outside, headed rival past the five-sixteenths, dueled with VA VA VEGAS into and down the stretch, put a head in front inside the eighth pole, put away inside rival then received a challenge from CRASH CORRIGAN and held gamely. CRASH CORRIGAN trailed the field early then angled in and went between horses, entered the turn two wide, came out nearing the quarter pole and entered the stretch four wide, drew alongside the winner mid-stretch but could find the needed late kick to get by. VA VA VEGAS set the pace with BIG STORY to the outside, was headed by rival past the five-sixteenths, responded when challenged and fought back two wide into the stretch, clung to a short lead with a furlong to go then relinquished the lead and flattened out in deep stretch. GABBY HAYES chased off the inside, went three then two wide around the turn and weakened. FERRARIANO came away a bit slow, tracked the pace from inside to the stretch and lacked a rally. JEANNE B settled early outside rivals, went four wide into the turn, angled to the rail around the bend and had little left for the drive.

STAR OF AFRICA bumped by inside rival at the start, sprinted to the front and angled inside, coaxed along at the quarter pole, urged right handed in the final furlong and inched away. SABURAI stalked the pace along the rail to the stretch, could not threaten the winner in deep stretch and stayed on to hold the place. LAVENDER (IRE) broke out and bumped rival then was in a bit tight soon after the start, traveled in the two path, angled to the fence in the stretch then shifted out late while summoning a late rally. Y NOT SIZZLE was in a bit tight between rivals soon after the start, tracked outside a foe or three wide, angled five wide leaving the far turn and improved position. WIND TARTARE (FR) reserved in the early going from inside, moved into the two path on the backstretch, angled four wide nearing the stretch and never rallied. COLOMBIAN GOLD was closest to the pacesetter early, asked at the quarter pole, took aim two wide into the stretch and weakened. MADAME BOURBON stalked outside a rival, came three wide into the stretch and faded.

HERD IMMUNITY vied for the lead three deep then chased the top pair into the turn, took aim three wide into the stretch, drew alongside inside the eighth pole and kicked clear to win going away. WEDDING GROOM vied five deep early, dueled outside HOT BOX three then two wide around the turn, put away that rival at the eighth pole and could not match the winner in the late stages. LOVESICK BLUES vied between foes early, was taken back near the half-mile pole, lost ground around the turn, angled out in the lane and kept on to gain the show. HOT BOX vied four deep early, dueled with WEDDING GROOM around the turn and into the stretch, could not keep pace to the eighth pole and weakened in the final furlong. WESTERN RULE bumped with outside rival early, vied for command from inside, chased the top pair into the turn and faded. C'MON JENNA bumped with WESTERN RULE and checked early, took the turn two then three wide, tired in the drive, bled and was vanned off.

LIKE THE WIND came in and bumped rival then steadied off the heels of MINEHUNTER early, chased outside the leader then bid alongside on the turn, took command in upper stretch, cleared rival near the eighth pole and finished strong under urging. CARGO bumped from outside then steadied early, chased three deep around the turn and finished well for the place. ALEXANDER'S DREAM bumped with inside rival early, stalked a bit off the rail into the stretch, tipped out and gained the show. CIBERTRUCK bumped leaving the gate, sat off the pace, angled out into the lane and widest in the stretch, then rallied for a minor share. MINEHUNTER broke alertly from the far outside, came in and bothered rivals early, crossed over further to the inside setting the pace inside, met the challenge from LIKE THE WIND around the turn, fought back into the stretch, lost the lead in upper stretch and weakened in the final furlong. JUDAS chased between rivals to the stretch, lacked room behind MINEHUNTER at the sixteenth pole and could not regain momentum. GERLACH'S was off slow to begin, steadied crossing surfaces early, tracked off the rail to the stretch and could not rally. WHISKEY TALK bumped leaving the gate, chased between rivals then along the inside through the turn and faded. CATFISH CHARLIE came away slowly, went three to four wide into the stretch and weakened. PEDRO PEREZ broke in at the start, was bumped from outside and checked early and dropped to the back of the field, raced along the inside into the lane and was not persevered with. FOLLOWING AN INQUIRY, THE STEWARDS DISQUALIFIED MINEHUNTER FROM FIFTH TO LAST FOR COMING IN EARLY AND CAUSING SEVERAL RIVALS TO STEADY.

HOZIER stalked the pace from inside, moved out into the two path then back inside on the backstretch, raced along the inside then came out leaving the far turn, reeled in the leader and cleared late. FENWAY controlled the pace in the two path, led clear to the eighth pole, challenged by HOZIER with a sixteenth to go and yielded to the winner. STAR SAILOR stumbled slightly at the start, chased off the inside, three wide into the stretch and went evenly through the final furlong. EXALTED JOY trailed the field early, entered the far turn two wide then angled out into the four path and passed tired rivals. ALLABOUTTHEMONEY reserved early from inside, saved ground to the stretch and weakened. CHASING FAME traveled three wide around the first turn, stayed off the rail to the stretch and never threatened.

SUPERSTITION stalked outside a rival to the stretch, closed in and struck the front in upper stretch, kicked clear at the eighth pole and was kept to task under right-hand urging. OLEKSANDRA (AUS) trailed the field early, went outside a rival into the turn, propped near the five-sixteenths pole, angled out in upper stretch and finished well to earn the place honors. CONSTANTIA saved ground around the turn, tipped out in the stretch and got up for the show. GUITTY (FR) raced off the pace early on, took the turn two wide, angled out then raced between rivals at the eighth pole, lacked room off heels mid-stretch, angled out and kept on for a minor award. LIGHTHOUSE chased along the inside the moved off the rail, went three wide around the turn, bid outside in upper stretch and flattened out in the final furlong. SO MUCH HAPPY was away quickly from inside, jumped the track crossing surfaces early, set the pace with a comfortable lead, showed the way with a diminishing lead leaving the turn, lost command in upper stretch, faded in the furlong grounds, bled and walked off. AQUA SEAFORM SHAME stalked between foes then along the inside, saved ground into the lane, tired in the drive, was eased late and walked off.

OCTOPUS showed speed outside TOBACCO ROAD then cleared that rival, showed the way inside to the stretch, urged right-handed in the lane and held safely. COLOSI bumped at the start, stalked off the rail then outside a rival, took aim two wide but could not reach the winner while besting the rest. LITTLEBITAMEDAL tracked the pace in the two path through the bend, kept on willingly in the final furlong and edged rival for the show honors. RINSE AND REPEAT broke in and bumped leaving the gate, chased two then three wide while outside a rival on the turn, continued alongside LITTLEBITAMEDAL through the drive and missed the show. TOBACCO ROAD showed early speed with OCTOPUS to the outside, could not match strides up the backstretch and chased the leader from inside to the turn, remained along the fence to the lane, lacked room behind the winner in upper stretch and flattened out in the final furlong. AWHITESPORTSCOAT saved ground inside to the stretch and went evenly late. HORSE GREEDY chased off the rail the dropped to back of the back, entered the turn two wide then came four wide into the stretch, angled out further and passed tired rivals. SWAMP SOUFFLE was pinballed and checked at the start, took the turn three then four wide and weakened. CONQUEST COBRA got knocked into rival leaving the gate, chased off the rail then moved into the two path, raced between rivals at the five-sixteenths pole and weakened in the late stages.