Brian Pochman
Lone Star Park

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas – Don L. Benge’s Wise River, trained by Clark Hanna, benefited from a decisive move along the backstretch in winning $150,000 Dallas Turf Cup over a firm turf course at Lone Star Park on Monday.

Ridden by Curt Bourque, the bay son of Belong to Me settled in nicely through the opening stages behind a slow early pace of 24.07 and 48.30. With just over a quarter of a mile to run, Wise River moved through an opening along the rail to take the lead. After running three-quarters of a mile in 1:11.18, Wise River rolled through the stretch to win going away and stopped the teletimer in 1:40.61 for 1 1/16 miles. It was 1½ lengths back to El Gato Malo in second, and another head back to Glowing Praise in third.

“I had a great trip,” said winning rider Curt Bourque. “We were right in behind a slow early pace and when they showed me an opening on the rail down the backside, I just pointed him through it. He went on to win very impressively.”

In winning the Dallas Turf Cup, Wise River recorded his seventh victory from 36 career starts. The $90,000 winner’s share of the purse increased Wise River’s lifetime earnings to $494,567.

Wise River paid $12.60, $5.60, $5.00, runner-up El Gato Malo returned $3.40, $2.60, and Glowing Praise paid $3.80 for show. Unbridle’s Dream, Deal Breaker, Precious Colony, Little Wagon, And Music Came, Favorite Jazz, and Jake Wil Gallop completed the order of finish.