Herp Wins Fair Grounds Feature

Wayne R. Sanders & Larry Hirsch’s Herp came from off the pace and burst through on the rail to win Sunday’s $47,000 entry-level allowance feature at six furlongs by 1 ¼ lengths over Pin Oak Stables’ Divine Music.

The winner, a 2-year-old by Arch trained by Bret Calhoun and ridden by Corey Lanerie, completed the distance in 1:11.90. The Kentucky-bred colt was making his first start in five months since breaking his maiden on the turf at Ellis Park in July. Today’s win boosted Herp’s career earnings to $48,775.

Klaravich Stables & William H. Lawrence’s Category Killer, the early pacesetter through fractions of 22.28 and 46.24, held on for third, 5 ¼ lengths behind Divine Music in a field that numbered seven juveniles following the scratch of W. Temple Webber Jr.’s Appealing Image.

Herp returned mutuels of $15.80, $80 and $4.60; Divine Music paid $5.60 and $3.20; and Category Killer was worth $3 to show.