Fair Grounds: Hit Show closes from last to win Louisiana Stakes
The entirety of Hit Show’s career, it’s basically been all or nothing.
In taking Saturday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Louisiana Stakes at Fair Grounds, he has won half his 16 starts with just one second. His other seven races have resulted in off-the-board performances.
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Off to a stutter-step start from the rail draw in the field of eight older horses, the gray-roan son of Candy Ride found himself last up the backstretch, chasing moderate fractions of 24.23 and 48.66 set by Track Phantom, the winner of last year’s Lecomte (G3).
With the Japan-bred Komorebino Omoide right on his flank throughout, Track Phantom (6-1) eventually gave way to the 14-1 long shot in the second turn.
Skinner, the 2-1 California invader making his first career start under the tutelage of trainer Cherie DeVaux, launched his rally ahead of Hit Show. But the gray grinder eventually worked his way past both him and eventual second-place finisher Komorebino Omoide to post a 1 1/2-length victory.
Hit Show completed the 1 1/16 miles over a sloppy, sealed track in 1:44.91.
Demoted from third to fifth as the 8-5 favorite in the Clark (G2) at Churchill Downs when last seen Nov. 28, Hit Show got back on track for Qatar-based owner Wathnan Racing and trainer Brad Cox.
“We gave him a little break, shipped down to Florida,” Cox said. “That was the plan to zero in on this race. He responded well. He’d been working well at Payson (Park) with (3-year-old) Patch Adams the past few weeks. I want to congratulate Wathnan for sticking with us, and hopefully he can pick off a Grade 1 later this year. I always thought he was a horse with top talent.”
Hit Show boasts an overall record of 16: 8-1-0 with a bankroll of $1,410,928. He has won five of the last six races and 6 of 8 overall with Florent Géroux aboard.
“It looks like he runs for me, and I like him, too,” Géroux said Saturday. “He’s always honest in races and always tries on any kind of track. He doesn't care. This horse likes to do his job. He’s the type of horse that deserves a Grade 1 next to his name.”
Hit Show returned $4.60, $3.00 and $2.40. Komorebino Omoide paid $10.20 and $5.60. Skinner returned $2.60 to show. Maycocks Bay, Heroic Move, Cooke Creek, Track Phantom and Pipeline completed the order of finish.
A Candy Ride entire who was bred in Kentucky by Gary and Mary West, Hit Show won the West Virginia Governor’s (G3), Lukas Classic (G2) and Fayette (G2) in succession before his disqualification to fifth in the Clark.
It was the third time in four years trainer Brad Cox and jockey Florent Géroux won the Louisiana.