The $50,000 Land of Lincoln Stakes at Hawthorne Park looks like it was going to shape up to be a battle between two big horses coming back from layoffs: Dom the Bomb bouncing back from grabbing a quarter in the Grade 3 Hutcheson and Recount, making his first start of 2015 after capturing the Grade 3 Arlington Washington Futurity.

It ended up being no contest.

Both favorites ran head and head down the backstretch but as they bent through the turn Tim Thornton was really working on Dom the Bomb to keep him going and Recount just kept on going, taking the six furlong dash in 1:10.23 by a cruising 5 lengths.

Though Recount had been training well, trainer Jim DeVito admitted to being a bit concerned watching the race unfold.

“The :21.43 had me concerned,” DeVito said.  “But he did well.”

On board, Manny Esquivel was not as concerned.

“I wasn’t [worried].  He’s the kind that likes to battle until the end. I knew that if someone came up to me he would keep on going,” said Esquivel.

Recount paid $6.20 for the win.  Longshot Market Rad got up for the place spot, returning $10.60 and $5.60 while Wildwood Nafir paid $3.80 to show.  Odds on Dom the Bomb faded through the lane.

There was much more suspense in the $50,000 Pretty Jenny Stakes.  As in the Land of Lincoln, the top choices battled it out through 3/4 with Hollarforadollar and Totaled pushing each other into the turn.  As the field straightened for home, Hollarforadollar was able to put Totaled away but the effort was costly.

Lady Kelia took advantage of the pace battle up front and wore down Hollarforadollar stride by stride, covering the six panels in 1:11.31 and taking the Pretty Jenny by 2 lengths, paying a whopping $37.80, $15.40 and $8.80.  Hollarforadollar returned $4.60 and $3.40 while Scatladybdancing paid $4.20 to show.

“The trip was awesome,” jockey Carlos Montalvo said.  We were lying right behind the speed and when I asked her, we just went.”