Rallying from last place under jockey Victor Espinoza, Solid Wager, the defending race champion, forged ahead in the final strides to win the featured $100,000 Cary Grant Stakes Sunday at Del Mar.

 

Providing Espinoza and trainer Peter Miller with their third victories of the afternoon, Solid Wager, the 5-2 second choice in a field of eight older Thoroughbreds, scored by a half-length over Grazen Sky, with Acceptance third and Gold Rush Dancer fourth. Magic Mark, the 2-1 favorite, was fifth.

 

Solid Wager, owned by Barber, Barber and Stanford Stable, negotiated the seven-furlong sprint in 1:22.51 to earn first money of $57,000. It was the five-year-old Birdonthewire gelding’s seventh win in 30 starts and first triumph since he won the Grant Stakes last fall. His career earnings are $429,921.

 

Solid Wager returned $7.60, $4.20 and $3.20; Grazen Sky, who went postward at 6-1, paid $6.40 and $4 while Acceptance returned $5.20 to show.

 

Solid Wager climaxed a consecutive riding triple for Espinoza, who also won the sixth race aboard Moe Candy at $10.60 and the seventh aboard longshot Start a Running at $25.40.

 

Miller’s earlier winners were Run Like the Boss at $8 in the fourth and T. Montana at $9.60 in the fifth.

 PETER MILLER (Solid Wager, winner) – “At first I was cussing Victor (Espinoza) wondering why he was so far back. Then he winds up with this amazing move, and what can you say about Victor, there’s a reason he’s the best. It means a lot to win for the owners of this horse, who are really good friends of mine and great clients. I wish there were more seven-eighths Cal-bred races for this horse. They obviously went fast enough to set up his late kick, he’s got a great three-eighths of a mile run in him and Victor rides him fantastically. I’ve had this horse since he was a 2-year-old, so it’s a lot of fun and great to win this race back-to-back.”