The return of stakes racing to Virginia offered up a thirller for race fans, with a photo finish in this week’s Your DancerMemorial.  Longshot Kirbysburg(KY)just held off a hard charging Prado Union(KY) to snatch the victory by ahead after the official review.  The four year old son of Teuflesberg notch his seventh career stakes victory and his first since last August.  It is his twelfth win in twenty eight starts, and inches him closer to that half million dollar earnings mark, giving him $462870 for his career.  He also picked up some rankings ground in the Older Turf Sprint Division, coming out of the race with a ranking of 136 overall.  The savvy handicappers are buying the drinks tonight, with some quite nice payouts being collected at the betting windows.  The winner paid $19.80 $8.10 $6.20 across the board.  Exotics paid well with at $125.30 payout in the exacta and a whopping $862.10 in the trifecta.

Kirbysburg(KY) managed to get himself out front early,shrugging off some early pressure at the break.  By first call, he had put some distance on all but one of his challengers, race favorite Strong Stuff(KY), who was hanging within a half length.  He extended his lead to a length and a quarter at the half, and as they crossed into the back half, he appeared to get even stronger.  He showed no signof fading, with a two length lead as they crossed the third call.  The closers were moving, slowly gaining ground, but Kirbysburg(KY) looked well in control as they headed for the wire.  The closers found another gear in the stretch, and what was looking like a walk away suddenly turned into a pitched battle as they headed for the wire. Prado Union(KY) broke away from the crowd, racheting it up a notch,quickly eating up the leader’s cushion, giving it all he had as the wire came into sight.  When the dust cleared, the photo showed Kribysburg taking it by a scant head, with Prado Union(KY) still driving hard in second.  Elite Concrete took third place honors, a length and a quarter out at the wire.