Holy Lute Overhauls Distinctiv Passion in Green Flash

Holy Lute, winner of the 2013 El Cajon Stakes as a three-year-old, returned to the scene of his lone added-money triumph to win Wednesday’s featured $87,080 Green Flash at the abbreviated distance of five furlongs over the infield Jimmy Durante Turf Course.

 

Well-placed in the early stages of the sprint, Holy Lute was guided between horses by jockey Santiago Gonzalez entering the stretch to take dead aim on the pacemaking 4-5 favored Distinctiv Passion and overhauled that rival in the final sixteenth to score by a length. His time for the dash was :56.24.

 

Distinctiv Passion, who was piloted by Edwin Maldonado, held second by a length and three-quarters over third-place Bobby Z Man, with Ankeny Hill fourth in the field of seven horses. Inkling and City of Vengeance were withdrawn.

 

Holy Lute, a son of Midnight Lute owned by the Class Racing Stable of Bill Masino and trained by Jim Cassidy, went postward at 5-1 and paid $12.60, $4 and $3.40 after scoring his fourth win in 18 starts. First money of $50,220 increased his career earnings to $330,142.

 

Distinctiv Passion returned $2.80 and $2.10, while Bobby Z Man paid $4.80 to show.

 

There were no six-winner tickets in Wednesday’s Pick Six, so Thursday’s program will have a carryover of $56,583.