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Half Ours remains unbeaten in Richter Scale Aaron and Marie Jones' HALF OURS (Unbridled's Song) took a short lead at the head of the stretch and repelled a pair of challenges late to capture the $225,000 Richter Scale Breeders' Cup H. (G2) at Gulfstream Park on Saturday. Sent off as the 9-5 favorite, the Todd Pletcher trainee finished off the seven furlongs in 1:22 1/5 and returned $5.60, $4.60 and $3 under John Velazquez. Half Ours and Bright One (Dance Brightly) dueled for the early lead, with the latter getting the opening half-mile in :43 3/5. Turning for home Half Ours overtook the leader but had a fresh challenger in Diabolical (Artax), who ranged up on the outside. Half Ours fought that one off and had enough left to keep a furiously closing Park Avenue Ball (Citidancer) at bay late by a half-length. The runner-up paid $8.40 and $4.20 at 11-1 while Diabolical kept third and paid $2.80 as the near 5-2 second choice. The winning exacta ($1) paid $29.30, the trifecta ($1) came back $79.60 and the 7-8-2-3 superfecta ($1) was worth $315.20 with Bright One securing fourth. Mach Ride (Pentelicus) was next and trailed by Nar (Northern Afleet), Dark Cheetah (Storm Cat), Slam Bammy (Grand Slam), Little Thunder (Sword Dance [Ire]) and Ecclesiastic (Pulpit). Half Ours ran his unbeaten record to five in boosting his bankroll to $294,670. The colt took the 2005 Three Chimneys Juvenile S. on the Kentucky Derby undercard and posted an easy 4 1/4-length allowance/optional claiming victory in his four-year-old bow prior to this one. The winner was bred in the Bluegrass State by Brilliant Stables and purchased for $6.1 million at the 2006 Keeneland November sale. He is the first registered foal out of the winning Zing (Storm Cat) and has an unraced three-year-old half-brother named Hay Lake Phil (Pulpit), an unraced two-year-old full brother named Zong and an unnamed yearling full brother. "All the credit goes to the Jones's for their patience," Pletcher said. "They love this horse. They bought the mare and a full brother, who is a two-year-old this year. "(Half Ours is) a really special horse, very talented," the conditioner added. "I think he'll stretch out, but he's in such good form right now, we ran him in here. We'll probably look at the ($300,000) Carter H. ([G1] on April 7 at Aqueduct) as our next start."
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