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Sweetpike, under the guidance of young Chris Fackler, led gate to wire to win Friday's feature race at Fonner Park, a $20,000 claiming affair for fillies and mares.
The four-year-old filly is owned by Robert Compton and trained by James Compton. Making her first start of the year, she was hustled from the gate by Fackler and actually drew off from runner-up Scat's Princess in the stretch.
Fackler was very impressed with the filly, even though he had never before been on her back.
"I had never rode her before, not even for a workout," Fackler said. "Jimmy (Compton) just told me to save ground and stay out of the other horses' way. She did the rest.
"When I asked her on the turn, she just gave me a crazy response. She took off and we were home, she's a real classy filly."
Sweetpike covered the six furlongs in 1minute, 13:40 seconds, winning by a comfortable three and three-quarter lengths over second place finisher Scat's Princess. Marvel M. was another three-quarter lengths back in third.
Sweetpike returned $8.20 to win, with an exacta payoff of $29.20, and triggering a $190.20 trifecta.
Only a senior at Centura High School, Fackler had a big day winning the previous race on board longshot Frontier Groom.
"It was the first time I ever won two races in a row," Fackler said. "Plus Frontier Groom was the biggest payoff I ever rode."
Frontier Groom won the sixth race on the card, returning $80.40 to his happy backers.
Dollar figures may play an important part of the young rider's life.
"I want to ride another year, then go to school and study accounting," Fackler said.
Hoofprints
* Yuri Yaranga rode two winners Friday on his return to the Nebraska circuit. The veteran rider, who had been competing at Beulah Park in Ohio, rode Buckland Hollow to a win in the third race and finished the card with a win on Wild Momie in the eighth. Buckland Hollow was the third winner at Fonner this season that had made his previous start at Tampa Bay Downs.
The biggest payoff in California racing history was Monday, when one lucky bettor hit the pick-six for a record $3,120,256.80.
Fonner Park is once again sponsoring a fantasy jockey league. The winning team in week one was Eddie Arcaro's Valet. Thirteen teams make up the league.
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