Smart Strike Colt Scores at Fair Grounds

3rd-FGX, $36,900, Alw, Opt. Clm. ($50,000), NW1X, 3yo, 1m70y, 1:42, ft. 
CLASS LEADER (c, 3, Smart Strike–Class Kris {MGSW, $582,129}, by Kris S.), sixth on debut over six furlongs at Churchill Downs last October, resurfaced with a 1 1/2-length maiden victory over track and trip Feb. 17. Sent off at 8-5, the bay colt was unhurried early and settled off the pace in the five-horse field. He tipped out a path for the stretch run and rallied between foes at midstretch before holding sway over Divine View (Divine Park) late. After chasing the pace, 3-5 favorite Candy Dandy (Candy Ride {Arg}) moved to challenge for the lead on the turn, but tired down the stretch and finished fourth. Class Leader, who RNA’d for $185,000 as a Keeneland September yearling, is a half-brother to Gradepoint (A.P. Indy, GSW, $144,285) and Student Council (Kingmambo, MGISW, $1,567,731). Click for the brisnet.com chart or VIDEO. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $46,332. 
O-Lane’s End Racing. B-W S Farish (KY). T-Neil J Howard.