SELMA, TX—AUGUST 3, 2018—Contentious Strike got up over Mr Unsung Hero by a neck in $6,000 Quicksilver Starter Handicap-Div. 2 (not black type) Friday night at Retama Park. Apollitical Ride was another neck back in the blanket finish to get third.

Under jockey Luis Vivanco, Contentious Strike picked up his second consecutive win while completing the 350 yards in :17.966 seconds, a 91 speed index over the fast track into 15 mph headwind.

Conditioned by trainer Alberto Solis, Contentious Strike is a Texas homebred racing for the Estate of Fred Yamaguchi. The 3-year-old son of Contend, from the Cat Strike mare Cat Strike Fever, has compiled a (5) 3-1-0 record and banked $12,500. Jockey Francisco Calderon had the riding call aboard Mr Unsung Hero for owner/breeder Pamela Stone and trainer Leon Bard. The Valiant Hero 3-year-old, out of Brown Scorpion by Pyc Paint Your Wagon, has earned $11,265.

Apollitical Ride, a son of leading sire Apollitical Jess, races for owner Gabriela Ventura and trainer Juan Diaz, Jr. Juan Francisco Garcia, Jr. rode the Scarlett Hill Farms Inc. Texas-bred out of Lil Executive Dash by Executive Menace. In was starts he as a 2-2-1 record and has earned $10,995.

Dashin Black Ice, Hawkeye Bok and Stoli Winzit completed the field. Easy Winning Pop was scratched.