Benoit Photo

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (Apr. 28, 2002) --Public Domain, in only his second career start, rallied in the stretch to win the $60,000 Pepper Oaks Farm Maiden Stakes Sunday at Gold Rush III at Hollywood Park.

The 3-year-old gelded son of Avenue of Flags, out of the Flying Paster mare Golden Torque, was bred by owner Ridder Thoroughbred Stable. In his Mar. 23 debut, he finished a solid second to the highly regarded Modernist.

In this race, Public Domain blew past Lil Cooper and The Mobile Man in the stretch to win by a length. Lil Cooper edged The Mobile Man for the place in a photo, but the stewards disqualified Lil Cooper for interfering with The Mobile Man turning into the stretch and reversed their order of finish.

The disqualification did not involve the winner.