Thunder Brew Rallies in Lamplighter

In the Lamplighter, Carlos Marquez Jr. gave Thunder Brew a winning ride all the way as he tracked the pace to the turn, circled five-wide as they straightened into the stretch, collared the leaders at the eighth pole, and then drew off through the final furlong.

The winner, a Florida-bred colt by Milwaukee Brew trained by Anthony Pecoraro, raced the mile and a sixteenth over a firm turf course in a swift 1:40 2/5 and paid $9.20, $4 and $4.20 as third choice in the field of seven.

Thunder Brew scored by a length and a quarter over Fantastico Roberto, who paid $4 to place and $4 to show and completed the $34.80 exacta. Houngun was three-quarters of a length farther back and returned $9 to show. Lethal Combination, the $2.70-1 favorite, finished fourth.

“We were last early,” Marquez said. “He pulled me up early, and I just let him do what he wanted rather than fight him. He was going so easily all the way. When I asked him, he took off.”

This was the third win of the year in five starts for Thunder Brew, who races for the Roman Hill Farm.