Eddie Haskell © Benoit Photo

Eddie Haskell, piloted by Geovanni Franco, barely held off rapidly-closing Eric the Trojan, the 9-5 favorite, to win Del Mar’s feature race Thursday,  a five-furlong sprint on the grass, by a nose.

Eddie Haskell, sent to the post the second choice at 7-2, appeared to have the race clearly won until the final yards where Eric the Trojan, piloted Flavien Prat, culminated a stretch-long rally which fell short by the narrowest of margins.

Third, only a half-length behind Eric the Trojan, was Tina’s Exchange, with Aristocratic fourth in the field of nine turf sprinters.

Eddie Haskell, owned by Hailey and Wood and conditioned by Mark Glatt, sped the distance in a fast :55.96 and returned $9.80, $5 and $3.60. Eric the Trojan paid $3.80 and $2.80, while Tina’s Exchange returned $3.40 to show.

The winner, a five-year-old gelded son of Square Eddie, was scoring his fourth win in 13 lifetime races.

There were no perfect tickets in Thursday’s Pick Six so Friday’s program, which begins at 4 p.m., will feature a carryover of $76,768. The single ticket Super Jackpot will have $214,640 in its pool.