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Alsvid runs down Ivan Fallunovalot in Count Fleet Sprint

Alsvid finished strongly to record his first graded victory (Oaklawn Park/Coady Photography) Black Hawk Stable's Alsvid (Officer) rallied to edge Ivan Fallunovalot (Valid Expectations) in Thursday's $300,000 Count Fleet Sprint H. (G3) at Oaklawn Park, registering his first graded stakes victory with a 9-1 upset. The six-year-old gelding made amends for a neck second last year in which he was caught late after dueling on the lead in the six-furlong race. Trained by Chris Hartman and ridden by Chris Landeros, Alsvid broke on top but settled nicely in third as longshot Picko's Pride (Cactus Ridge) flashed forward to show the way through a wicked opening quarter-mile in :21 1/5. Ivan Fallunovalot was stalking two lengths back of the pacesetter, a length better than Alsvid. Picko's Pride continued to wing it through the far turn, reaching the half-mile point in :44 with a one-length advantage, but Ivan Fallunovalot was poised to pounce and surged to the front after straightening for home. Alsvid was also moving well to his outside, but had two lengths to make up with an eighth of a mile remaining.

Alsvid gradually wore down his rival in deep stretch, getting up just before the wire to score by three-quarters of a length, and stopped the teletimer in an excellent 1:08.36. It marked the fastest Count Fleet since Bonapaw (1:08) in 2001.

"He literally broke a length in front," Hartman said. "Chris rides this horse really good -- knows him well. He tucked him in third, saved some for the end, and he came running down the middle."

Alsvid returned a $21 win mutuel. Ivan Fallunovalot, the 5-2 second choice, wound up 4 1/4 lengths clear of the 37-1 Picko's Pride in third. Gentlemen's Bet (Half Ours), the 4-5 favorite among seven rivals, did not fire, racing in fourth before retreating to last in the stretch drive.

Hartman leads the Oaklawn trainer standings, increasing his win total to 30, four better than Steve Asmussen with two days remaining in the meet.

"I would love to be leading trainer at Oaklawn," Hartman said. "It would be a highlight of my career, for sure. But this win is very gratifying, especially for the horse."

Now an eight-time stakes hero, Alsvid has captured at least one listed event every year since taking the Kip Deville in 2011. But the Count Fleet marked his first at Oaklawn -- he posted five runner-up finishes at the Hot Springs, Arkansas track before breaking through here. His other stakes victories came at Remington Park (three), Prairie Meadows (three) and Zia Park (one).

The bay gelding opened 2015 with a second in the February 7 King Cotton at Oaklawn and had made his two previous starts versus allowance foes locally, finishing third on March 1 before posting a 1 1/2-length win on March 27.

With the $180,000 payday, Alsvid increased his bankroll to $933,465 from a 29-12-7-3 record.

Bred in Kentucky by Yanagawa Stud Ltd, Alsvid sold for $55,000 at the 2011 OBS April two-year-old sale. He is the only stakes winner out of the Afternoon Deelites mare Reagle Mary, who is a half-sister to 2003 Santa Anita Derby (G1) victor Buddy Gil (Eastern Echo).

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