"The first time out, he went to the lead and never looked back," said Bravo. "Today he rated before making his run and that's the kind of horse that wins the big races." (Chart, Equibase)
Leslie and Robert Hurley and D.J. Stable's Shooter raced just off the early pace set by T P Louie, edged clear of that rival in the final furlong, and held off the late charge of 13-1 longshot Snow Ridge to win the $200,000 Sapling Stakes (gr. III) Saturday at Monmouth Park. Under Joe Bravo, the John F. Dowd trainee completed the six furlongs in 1:10.63 on a fast track. T P Louie finished third, followed by Starbury, Waltz King, Duality, and High Ideal. The winner paid $6.60, $5, and $2.60. The winning exacta combination returned $54.60.Shooter (Dehere--Defer West, by Gone West) is a 2-year-old colt bred in Kentucky by Phil T. Owens. He earned $120,000 for the win, his second in two career starts. Prior to the Sapling, Shooter won a 5 1/2-furlong maiden race at Monmouth by 8 1/4 lengths.