LAUREL -- Straight Forward drew off turning for home before holding on to win yesterday's Laurel Race Course feature race by a half-length.

The 2-year-old colt finished ahead of a determined rally by Alamance County to capture the 1-1/16 mile allowance race. Love That Barney finished third and favored Coringa fourth.

Edgar Prado, leading rider at the 53-day-old meet, rode Straight Forward, a son of Broad Brush. Prado rode two other winners on the 10-race card, giving him a 70-66 lead over Mike Luzzi.

Straight Forward, trained by Richard Small, paid $12 to win after completing the distance in 1 minute, 48 4/5 seconds over a fast track.

Coringa is trained by Carlos Garcia, whose stable ended a prolonged slump in the previous race. The usually steady outfit had not won with its prior 35 starters until Hippomenes drove to victory in the eighth race.

NOTES: Trainer Howard Wolfendale sent out 2 winners yesterday, including Alden's Crown, a 14-length winner of the fourth. Wolfendale is tied for third in the trainer standings with Garcia with 18 winners. King Leatherbury (25) leads, followed by Eddie Gaudet (20). . . . Tomorrow's Cameo Stakes, a $50,000 race for 2-year-old fillies, is the lone stakes event at Laurel this weekend. . . . Sweep of Daylight, trained by Small, is entered in tomorrow's $100,000 Everglades Stakes at Hialeah Race Course in Florida. . . . There is racing at Laurel on Monday, a normal dark day; the track is dark Tuesday and Wednesday.