Cruise Along Wins All Brandy for Team Bender

The team of owner Sondra Bender and trainer Larry Murray won its fifth stakes race of the year in Maryland as Cruise Along beat nine other Maryland-bred fillies and mares in the $75,000 All Brandy Stakes at Pimlico.

It was the first added money race of the five-week summer-fall meeting.

Cruise Along and jockey Horacio Karamanos covered the grassy nine furlongs in 1:51.39 over a firm course. The Runaway Groom mare was unhurried early until Karamanos swung her wide at the top of the stretch and was a driving 1 1/2-length winner. Coquettish held off Leebearski for the second spot.

"I was pretty worried about the slow pace," said Murray. "She doesn't like being on the inside so as soon as Horacio was able to get her outside I knew we were in good shape."

The winner paid $9.40 and topped a $97.60 exacta. The trifecta paid $533.

Last year team Bender won seven added money races at Pimlico and Laurel Park with six different horses.

(Chart, Equibase)