HOT SPRINGS -- Guest Suite, with jockey Walter De La Cruz aboard, edged Snapper Sinclair to win the first of two divisions of the $100,000, 1-mile Fifth Season Stakes by a nose in 1:39.18 at Oaklawn on Saturday.
The result was decided by a photo that De La Cruz said he did not need to see.
"I knew we had won it," he said. "I had a perfect trip."
Lenstar and Sonneteer both scratched from the race to leave a field of six.
Night Ops finished third, 11/4 lengths behind Snapper Sinclair and 21/4 lengths in front of fourth-place Sky Promise.
Sky Promise, trained by Robertino Diodoro and ridden by Orlando Mojica, moved fastest at the finish after he stood in the gate at the start and was 19 lengths behind the field halfway through the race.
"I'm disappointed on one hand but very happy on the other," Diodoro said. "He's a good late closer, but for him to stand like that at the start, I'd never seen that from him."
Guest Suite, trained by Cipriano Contreras in his first start at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort, started at 11-1 and tucked in on a muddy track behind the early pace set by Remembering Rita and Snapper Sinclair, trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by Ricardo Santana.
"He ran a big race," Contreras said. "He's a nice, old horse. We got lucky, I guess. It's nothing really I did."
Remembering Rita, the 9-5 second choice under jockey Alex Birzer, ran in front of Snapper Sinclair, the 8-5 favorite, by a head through the first quarter-mile in 23.79. Guest Suite was 11/2 lengths back in third with a head in front of fourth-place Chris and Dave, a 7-year-old gelding trained by Federico Villafranco.
Six-year-old Remembering Rita, trained by Doug Anderson, maintained his lead through the half in 48.04 but was fourth, 23/4 lengths behind the leader Snapper Sinclair through three-quarters in 1:13.02 as the field approached the head of the stretch.
Snapper Sinclair had a three-length lead as he turned for home, with Guest Suite in second, a head in front of Night Ops, trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Florent Geroux.
Night Ops looked as if he had adequate momentum to catch the leaders through the latter half of the final turn, but he could close no further ground in the stretch.
"We went a little wide turning for home," Geroux said. "I hoped I could make my move early, but we just couldn't really get there, but the horse ran good."
De La Cruz said he did not ask much from Guest Suite until the 1/8th pole. When he did, Guest Suite immediately responded to catch and pass Snapper Sinclair within 10 feet of the wire.
"I just tried to get him to relax through the race," De La Cruz said. "When I asked him, he gave me everything and finished very well."
Sports on 01/26/2020