5 Abr. USA. Excelsior H. G3. Aqueduct. 9f. Dirt. 200.000 $
1.- TEMPORARY SAINT (C.Lopez)
2.- NITE LIGHT (M.Luzzi)
3.- ANGLIANA (A.Garcia)


Pacesetter Temporary Saint had no trouble holding off Nite Light and Angliana for a 1 ½-length win in the $150,533 Excelsior Handicap (G3) on Saturday at Aqueduct.

Charles Lopez hustled the five-year-old Awesome Again gelding immediately to the front early in the 1 1/8-mile race as Wafi City chased from the outside through a half-mile in :48.43 and six furlongs in 1:13.65.

"I knew he was going to get the lead because there was no speed in the race," said Bruce Levine, who has trained Temporary Saint for each of his three starts in 2008. "I knew Wafi City was going to sit behind him. I knew the fractions were slow, but the track has been slow all day."

Temporary Saint surged ahead on the turn and took a 3 1/2-length lead in early stretch. Nite Light closed in on the leader in the stretch but was no serious threat to Temporary Saint, who finished in 1:51.13 on a track rated as fast.

"He doesn't really want to be hit," Lopez said. "I hit him left-handed one time and he resented it. As soon as I went back to hand riding him, he just took off again."

Angliana rallied from fifth in early stretch to finish third, a neck behind Nite Light, the 5-to-2 favorite. Venerable gelding Evening Attire, who was bidding for his first win as a ten-year-old, hesitated at the start and was outrun, finishing last in the eight-horse field.

The Excelsior was Temporary Saint's second stakes start. In his previous start, he finished second to Malibu Moonshine in the 1 1/8-mile Stymie Handicap on March 1 at Aqueduct.

Temporary Saint has won six of 23 starts and has earned $233,959. Bred by Adena Springs, he is out of the Great Gladiator mare No Foul Play.