Akilina wins Pago Hop

Akilina rallied to the lead in mid-stretch, then held off late-charging Dancin Perfect by a head to win the Pago Hop on Saturday on the Fair Grounds turf. Akilina’s victory gave jockey Shaun Bridgmohan his third victory on the card. Akilina, whom trainer Christophe Clement shipped to the Fair Grounds from Florida, ran about a mile in 1:40.03 on a good course and paid $4.20 to win as the favorite in a field of eight 3-year-old fillies. She was coming off a third-place finish in a turf stakes at Aqueduct.