Lee's Spirit Upsets Costa Rising Stakes

Kicking off Saturday’s seven-stakes afternoon with an upset, Boudreaux, Gaudet and Johnston’s Lee’s Spirit, allowed to settle, challenged in the late stages and got up to capture the $60,000 Costa Rising Stakes by a nose as the longest shot on the board at 25-1.

The winner, ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan and trained by Eddie Johnston, returned mutuels of $53.60, $12.80 and $12.80 again, toured the 1 1/16-mile distance in 1:44.70 and increased his career earnings to $610,883 with his 12th win in 57 career starts. 

Klaravich Stable and William Lawrence’s Populist Politics challenged with the winner in the late stages, could not match that one but was clearly second best, finishing 1 1/4-length in front of Adam Pavlovich’s Watch My Smoke.

Populist Politics paid $3.60 and $4.20 and Watch My Smoke returned $9.40.

Rebecca Farms and T. J. Dickey’s odds-on favorite Heavy On Themister made the pace with splits of 25.06 and 48.98 but gave way late.