Sweet August Moon wins Rancho Bernardo at Del Mar
August 23, 2010DEL MAR, Calif. (AP) - Sweet August Moon rallied to beat early leader and even-money favorite Alpha Kitten on Sunday in the $150,000 Rancho Bernardo Handicap at Del Mar.
Ridden by Victor Espinoza, Sweet August Moon sat third in a field of just four fillies and mares in the early going of the Grade 3 sprint, took the lead from Alpha Kitten by a head at the top of the stretch and held off a late second effort from the favorite to win by three-quarters of a length.
Sweet August Moon covered 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:16.40 and paid $5.20 and $2.80. Alpha Kitten paid $2.60 to place. There was no show wagering because of the small field.
Trained by Brian Koriner, the 5-year-old daughter of Malibu Moon has won seven times in 17 lifetime starts