Pure Tactics Wins FG Turf Sprint Feature

Don Eberts’ Pure Tactics, always well placed, challenged for command after the furlong grounds and drew off late for a three-length score in Friday’s Fair Grounds feature, a $49,000 allowance and optional $50,000 claiming sprint for 3-year-olds at about 5 1/2-furlongs over the Stall-Wilson turf course.

The winner, trained by Morris Nicks and ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan, toured the grass dash distance over a course rated “yielding” in 1:05.40, returned mutuels of $4.80 $3.40 and $2.60 and increased his career earnings to $52,008 to remain undefeated with his second victory in two career starts.

David Cassidy’s Thunder Harbor, who made the pace with splits of 22.70 and 47.52, could not stay with the winner in the late stages but was easily second best, paying $4.20 and $2.80 while finishing 2 3/4-lengths in front of Coteau Grove Farms’ Private Prayer, who returned $4 to show.