Fair Grounds: King of Lourdes Springs Upset

Tat Hoi Fung’s King of Lourdes, allowed to settle early, closed with a bold rush in the late stages to capture Friday’s $49,000 Fair Grounds allowance feature by a neck from Uptown Racing Stable’s pacesetting Voodat, who had led since leaving the gate.

Trained by Michelle Lovell and ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan, the lightly-regarded King of Lourdes lit up the tote board with mutuels of $32.40, $12.20 and $7, increased his career earnings to $39,870 with his second victory in four career starts and accomplished the six-furlong distance in 1:11.32.

Voodat, who set early fractions of 22.38 and 46.41, paid $5.20 and $4 while finishing 3 3/4-lengths to the good of Maggi Moss’s Purely Awesome, who returned $4.80.

Racing resumes Saturday at Fair Grounds for a 12-race program billed as Santa Super Saturday and featuring three $75,000 open stakes events.