Horse Racing Capsules: One More Laugh wins $300,000 Cane Pace

Driven by Tim Tetrick and trained by Ray Schnittker, the gelding started from the rail and covered the mile in 1:50.3 to win the opening leg of pacing's Triple Crown for 3-year-olds.

That time bested the mark of 1:50.4 shared by two previous Cane Pace winners — Art Official (2008) and Vintage Master (2009) — and I'm Gorgeous, who equaled it in last week's Cane Pace elimination race.

It was the second big win of the year in New Jersey for One More Laugh, who also won the $1 million Meadowlands Pace at the Meadowlands.

The Little Brown Jug on Sept. 23 and the Messenger Stakes on Nov. 6 are the other two races in pacing's Triple Crown.

"I thought I had the best horse and I had the rail, which is a great starting spot on a half-mile track," Tetrick said. "I just used it to my advantage. I got to go a little easy middle half and in the middle of the last turn I called on my horse and he really responded."

It was the fifth win in 11 starts this year for One More Laugh, who has now earned more than $1 million in 2010. He returned $3.40, $2.10 and $2.10 to his backers.

"That was probably as good as he has raced all year," said Schnittker, who had never won a pacing triple crown race before. He co-owns the horse with Mathias Meinzinger and Jerry Silva.

Mr Piloto wins All American Futurity

RUIDOSO, N.M. (AP) — In the second-closest finish to an All American Futurity in its 52 years, long shot Mr Piloto beat JLS Mr Bigtime by a nose and Dominyun by a neck.

The only time the 440-yard race has a closer finish was in 1972 when the top four horses were each a nose apart in the race won by Possumjet.

It was the first All American win for jockey Esgar Ramirez and trainer Felipe Quintero. The 27-year-olds became the second-youngest winner in their role.

Mr Piloto was timed in 21.55 seconds and returned $46.60 to win, $20.60 to place and $8.40 to show.

"I knew I had the win," said Ramirez, who won an All American Derby for 3-year-olds in 2006 aboard Arealstraitheaert. "It was a close call, but my horse did a great job and he was well prepared. Felipe did a great job of training the horse."

Mr Piloto and JLS Mr Bigtime got off to slow starts. JLS Mr Bigtime rallied from the No. 1 post to nearly win the race, while Mr Piloto lugged out to the right out of the No. 9 slot before straightening out and giving a great run over the final 100 yards.

Dominyun was a factor down the stretch, but just didn't have enough at the end.

"Mr Piloto didn't get off to a great start," Quintero said. "But he's been training well and getting better. We qualified as the 10th-fastest for this race, but he is improving and has been working hard. It's an amazing feeling to win this race as a trainer, this is what I have always hoped for."

The Louisiana-bred Mr Piloto earned $1 million for owner Jose Trevino with his second win in four career starts.

JLS Mr Bigtime, the slight 2-1 favorite at post time, returned $4.20 to place and $3.40 to show. Dominyun returned $4.40 to show.

Pursue A Dream wins Remington's top turf race

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Pursue A Dream rode the rail and led from wire to wire Monday to win the $125,000 DeBartolo Memorial Breeders' Cup, the most lucrative turf race of Remington Park's thoroughbred season.

The 5-year-old gelding bred in Kentucky took the lead a few strides from the start on his way to a seventh win in 37 starts. Five of those victories have come at Remington Park.

Heza Wild Guy made a late charge but finished a half-length behind Pursue A Dream in the 1 1/8-mile race. That came after a third-place finish in the same race a year ago.

Quite A Handful, the 9-5 favorite after finishing ninth in the Arlington Million last month, finished another half-length behind in third.

Pursue A Dream went off at 6-1 odds and paid $14 to win, $7.80 to place and $4.20 to show.

Gotta Have Her wins Del Mar's Palomar Handicap

DEL MAR, Calif. (AP) — Gotta Have Her swept to the lead in the upper stretch and beat Go Forth North by a neck Monday to win the $150,000 Palomar Handicap on Monday.

Ridden by Mike Smith, the 6-year-old mare ran the 1 1/16-miles on grass in 1:42.39, and paid $4, $3 and $2.10. Go Forth North returned $5.80 and $2.60. Lilly Fa Pootz was another half-length back in third and paid $2.10 to show.

It was Gotta Have Her's second straight win in the Palomar Handicap.

Also Monday, despite losing his left front shoe Bench Points rallied in the final strides to beat Swiss Tart by a half-length in the $100,000 I'm Smokin Stakes.

Ridden by Rafael Bejarano, the 2-year-old winner covered six furlongs on the main track in 1:10.28, and paid $3.10, $2.80 and $2.20. Swiss Tart paid $13.40 and $7. Lucky Mr. K was a neck back in third and paid $5.60 to show.