Gators N Bears Chews Up Sonny Hine Foes

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Leo Nechamkin's Gators N Bears turned in a sparkling front-running performance to win the $50,000 Sonny Hine Stakes for 3-year-olds at Laurel Park.

The bay son of Stormy Atlantic covered the six-furlong distance in 1:08.80. Super Fuse rallied to gain the place, three quarters of a length behind the winner. First Blush was third.

The colt is owned and trained by Nechamkin, who bought him out of the estate sale of Bob Camac for $8,500. "I'm sorry a guy like Bobby couldn't see him run because he bred him to be a great horse and he's turned out just the way Bobby planned."

Gators N Bears paid $5.20. He boosted his record to 3-2-1 in six starts at Laurel Park.

Twenty-year-old jockey Abel Castellano Jr. had his best day ever riding in Maryland with five victories. He swept the first three races on Saturday's card, continued his rampage with a victory in the fifth race and topped off his win skein in the tenth race.

The Venezuelan-born rider, who is the younger sibling of New York mainstay Javier Castellano, won the daily double for owner Michael Gill with Can't Get Enough ($6.60) in the first and Frosty Alibhai ($5.20) in the second. He won on his third mount of the day, Skip A Page ($10.40), in the third race and his fourth mount, Sleetwood Mac ($5.60), in the fifth. He provided Gill with another tally with Golden Louisia ($3) in the finale.

(Chart, Equibase)

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