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Remarkable News explodes in Firecracker Holly Rincon's REMARKABLE NEWS (Ven) (Chayim) rocketed straight to the front in Saturday's $232,000 Firecracker H. (G2) and never looked back en route to a dominating, 2 3/4-length score at Churchill Downs. Allowed an uncontested lead through fractions of :24 1/5, :47 4/5 and 1:11 2/5, the Angel Penna Jr. charge completed the mile in 1:34 3/5 on the firm turf with Ramon Dominguez. Remarkable News returned $5.40, $3 and $2.40 as the 8-5 favorite. "I was especially pleased with the way he finished up," Dominguez said. "We got away with pretty comfortable fractions, but he really flew the last part and he just did it very easy." Brilliant (War Chant) skimmed the hedge into the stretch and quickly separated himself from the rest of the field. Although he couldn't threaten the winner, he finished 4 1/2 lengths clear in an admirable runner-up effort. The 2-1 second choice gave back $3.20 and $2.40. Outperformance (Aptitude) prevailed in a three-way tussle for third, paying $2.60 to show at 4-1. The exotics were worth $13.40 (exacta), $43.60 (trifecta), and $214 (1-4-8-7 superfecta) with the 17-1 Crested (GB) (Fantastic Light) securing fourth. Obi Wan Kenobi (Skywalker) was fifth, trailed by Vega's Lord (Ger) (Lord of Men), Tiganello (Ger) (Acatenango) and Free Thinking (Unbridled). Hold the Salt (Salt Lake) was withdrawn. Remarkable News now sports a mark of 15-9-3-1 with $762,678 in earnings. The lightly raced five-year-old rapidly rose through the ranks last year, taking the Connaught Cup S. (Can-G3) at Woodbine in his stakes debut and adding the Fourstardave H. (G2) at Saratoga. He also posted runner-up efforts in the Shadwell Turf Mile S. (G1) and Poker H. (G3). Last time out, the chestnut scored in the Dixie S. (G2) on Preakness Day. Bred by Agropecuaria Luisiana S.A. in Venezuela, the winner is the first registered foal out of the Alhajras mare Unreachable, making him a full brother to the Venezuelan stakes-placed Sir Antonio. This is the family of multiple Grade 1 winners Adjudicating and Dispute, Grade 1 victor Time for a Change and Australian Group 1 hero Secret Savings. Assistant trainer Ruth Hargreaves, who deputized for Penna at Churchill, indicated that Remarkable News would likely point toward a title defense in the Fourstardave on August 5.
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