HOUSTON Stables’ morningline favourite Priceless Beauty had to overcome a severe cut to her left hind leg during the running of the race to win the $715,000 United Racehorse Trainers’ Association Trophy feature by 3 1/4 lengths at Caymanas Park yesterday.

Earlier, 8-5 second favourite Mark To Market ridden by claiming apprentice Doushane Gordon beat Dancing Sam, the 4-5 favourite ridden by Omar Walker, to win the CTL Claiming Series secondary feature by a head.

Trained by Lawrence Freemantle for owner Courtney Thorpe, Mark To Market, a six-year-old chestnut gelding, ran 1,000 metres straight in a time of 58.4 seconds in the 13-horse field for the claiming spread $250,000 – $210,000 three-year-olds upward who have started for a tag of $250,000 or less since July 20.

Priceless Beauty — trained by Morris Powell and ridden by Omar Walker, despite bleeding profusely from her injury — ran 1,820 metres a time of 1:56.1 among Restricted Stakes imported three-year-old upward (NW3) and native-bred three-year-olds to register her second career win consecutively in the grade.

Nestled in mid-pack as Alexa’s Song and Heartofachampion took the field along, Priceless Beauty and her rider began to move through the field to take the lead passing the 800- metre pole.

Still not asked a serious question by Walker, Priceless Beauty turned for home looking an easy winner.

However, in deep stretch the Canadian-bred filly began to show signs of being affected by her injury and began to lose momentum. This forced Walker to reach for his stick to whip his mount into consistent motion as a quick look in his mirrors picked out the 13-1 Pat N Gold ridden by Peter Bryan closing fast on the outside.

The filly was game and responded to her rider’s urging and held on resoluteley for the win. With the final effort from the courageous filly, Pat N Gold was left to finish second with the 9-1 chance Prince Of Arabia finishing third 9 3/4 lengths back. Merit’s Brite Lite well supported at odds of 5-2 completed the frame under Dick Cardenas.

Priceless Beauty, a dark bay/brown four-year-old filly by Kafwain out of Pretotia (Great Gladiator), was bred by Spring Farm in Canada. It was the filly’s second win from four career starts and she earned $390,400 as the winner’s share for earnings of $2,339,350 lifetime.