ARCADIA, Ca. – The ground Zeewat saved on the far turn made all the difference in the $100,000 Damascus Stakes, as he edged wide-racing favored Flashback by a head in the seven-furlong dirt race for 3-year-olds.
Flashback, making his first start since April, was slow into stride from the rail for jockey Martin Garcia as Anillo laid down splits of 22.03 and 44.53 seconds for the first quarter and half. As Garcia took Flashback wide for room, Rafael Bejarano stuck to the inside on Zeewat, and as Anillo began struggling and Flashback attacked in upper stretch, Bejarano knifed his mount between the tiring leader and Flashback. Zeewat and Flashback raced in tandem for most of the last furlong, with Zeewat just edging clear in the final yards.
Zeewat, trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, who co-owns the colt with George Todaro, paid $12 to win while running seven furlongs on a fast track in 1:20.76. Show Some Magic rallied tepidly for third.
A son of Harlan’s Holiday, Zeewat won for the sixth time in 11 starts, and the Damascus was his third stakes victory.