Fair Grounds: 3 stakes upsets dominate undercard

The victory by Kingsbarns over favorite Instant Coffee in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby was one of several surprises on the Fair Grounds card Saturday. The three other graded stakes also resulted in defeated favorites.

Southlawn mows them down in Fair Grounds Oaks

When the five sophomore fillies lined up for the 56th running of the Grade 2, $400,000 Fair Grounds Oaks, Southlawn was not a big part of the narrative. But once the race was over, she quickly became a new darling in the division.

Stepping up in class off a resounding, eight-length maiden win, Southlawn had to prove that career-best effort wasn’t a fluke. And she had to do it against a pair of rock-solid rivals in Rachel Alexandra (G2) winner Pretty Mischievous and a fresh Silverbulletday victress in The Alys Look, not to mention the enigmatic Hoosier Philly, sensational as 2-year-old but hoping to bounce back off an underwhelming sophomore debut.

Then there was Christian d’Oro, the longest shot on the board who looked like the likely pacesetter on paper, and that’s exactly what she did, carving out the opening half mile in a swift 47.20 seconds with Hoosier Philly seemingly comfortable while right on her hip. Hoosier Philly put her head in front approaching the three-eighths pole, at which point Pretty Mischievous was ready to pounce. Pounce she did, putting away an overwhelmed Hoosier Philly.

Meanwhile Southlawn, who was content at the back while covered up at the rail, popped out and unleashed her rally. Straight and strong down the lane, Southlawn kicked free in the final furlong, drawing out to win by 3 1/2 lengths over Pretty Mischievous. It was another 3 3/4 lengths back to The Alys Look in third. Hoosier Philly was a spent fourth, and the pacesetting Christian d’Oro failed to complete the course before walking off.

“I wanted to save all the ground that I could,” Gutierrez said. “The way she’s been training and with how well Norm (trainer Casse) has prepared her, I knew that once I saw the clear she would burst through and she did. Norm and his team have done a sensational job developing her. She’s gotten better and better with the time off she got. We lost the Oaks last year by a nose with Hidden Connection (for trainer Bret Calhoun), so for me, this was sweet revenge.”

It was the biggest win in the career of trainer Norm Casse, the longtime assistant to his father Mark, who struck out on his own in 2018. He had won three graded stakes previously, but this one puts him into the Grade. 1 Kentucky Oaks with one of the horses to beat after earning 100 points.

“We’ve been really excited to run her,” Casse said. “She’s been breezing extremely well. This is a filly that we liked last year. We thought she was a Breeders’ Cup type filly and it just didn’t pan out, but she’s good now. I was with my dad (trainer Mark) in Ocala and I said, ‘wouldn’t it be something if we had two of the favorites for the Kentucky Oaks?’ He’s got Wonder Wheel, I’ve got Southlawn, we will sort it out on the track.”

Despite the second-place finish, Pretty Mischievous remains on top the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard, earning 40 points and boosting her overall total to 103.

"Turning for home I thought Hoosier Philly would take me a little further," jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. said. "I've been on my filly and she just kind of waits around. That was kind of her problem today. She put Hoosier Philly away so easily and when she made the lead, she got to wandering around. The filly that beat her was way out there in the middle of the track and ran by her quick and it surprised her. She's still kind of figuring it out and wants to hang around and wait on horses, and that's what she did today. I was like, 'man, we are either going to win by six (lengths) or she is going to wait around', and that's what she did when she got to the eighth pole."

Adding 30 points to her total for running third, The Alys Look is also a safe play to make the Oaks with 54 in the bank.

"I didn't like the spot (she was in)," Cox said. "There was enough pace, but she was kind of leaning out around both turns. She was wide. No real excuse, she just wasn't good enough today, bottom line."

Undefeated from three starts as a 2-year-old, including resounding wins in the Rags to Riches and Golden Rod (G2) at Churchill Downs, Hoosier Philly just hasn’t been the same since returning from her winter vacation. She banked another 20 points for her distant fourth-place run, and the 45 she has earned overall are likely good enough to get in the Oaks.

"She was traveling really well and turning for home I thought she'd give me the normal kick, but she was just kind of flat," jockey Edgar Morales said. "She's been working well. I think she'll be all right. This (Fair Grounds) is not the best track for her. She loves Churchill, we know that, so hopefully she'll go back there, start training on it, and get back to herself."

Just one for five to begin her career, Southlawn has now won two straight, boosting her career mark to 7: 3-0-0 while increasing her bankroll to $318,369. Bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm, she returned $17.40, $6.60 and $5.40 to her backers.

West Will Power puts away Art Collector in New Orleans Classic

Tending to the pace throughout the $500,000 New Orleans Classic (G2), West Will Power stormed to the lead in the stretch, and put away the field to win by 4 3/4 lengths.

Trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Flavien Prat, who also piloted Kingsbarns to the Louisiana Derby (G2) winner’s circle, West Will Power completed 1 1/8 miles in 1:47.95 on the fast main track at Fair Grounds.

“He broke well, got us into a good position and he was traveling really well all the way around,” Prat said. “He really kicked home well when I asked him to make a move.”

From the rail, Treasury opened up on the lead and cruised through the opening calls in 23.55 and 47.30 seconds. West Will Power was never far behind. The 4-5 favorite Art Collector tracked in third along the rail, while the Mineshaft-winner Pioneer of Medina tracked three wide in fourth.

Making a stout bid past Treasury at the three-furlong pole, West Will Power proceeded to draw off in the upper stretch, and Art Collector won the place battle over Mr. Wireless. From near the back, Rattle N Roll produced a lackluster late bid down the homestretch for fourth. Happy American, Pioneer of Medina and Treasury rounded out the order of finish.

Art Collector, who upset the Pegasus World Cup (G1) at Gulfstream Park last time out at odds of 15-1, was held up in the pocket. But even if he had shaken free earlier, West Will Power would have proved difficult to reel in.

“We’ve only had him the last 1 1/2 years of his career and he’s been very good to us,” Cox said. “We give him time when he needs it. I’m glad the Wests (owners Gary and Mary) were here to enjoy it in person. It was a big performance. When he comes to run he’ll always give you a big number. Sometimes he needs some time. I thought he needed his last race (second in the Razorback at Oaklawn) and he rebounded well today.”

West Will Power rewarded his backers with payouts of $7.20, $3.30, and $2.40.

West Will Power is the 4-year-old son of Bernardini out of the Wild Event dam Wild Promises. He improved his overall mark to 15-6-7-0 with overall earnings of $1,086,730. He became the 18th millionaire trained by Cox.

Spooky Channel rallies to win Muniz Memorial

Despite being forced to close into a slow pace, Spooky Channel got the jump on the unlikely front runner Rising Empire in the final stages to win the $300,000 Muniz Memorial (G2) presented by Horse Racing Nation. With the late vet scratch of the 2022 Muniz winner Two Emmys, nine older males entered the gates.

The 8-year-old son of English Channel is trained by Jason Barkley and owned by NBS Stable. Ridden by Joel Rosario, Spooky Channel covered the 1 1/8 miles across the firm Stall-Wilson turf course in 1.54.11. The rail position on the turf was moved in from 34 to 28 feet.

“He left out of there really well,” Rosario said. “He likes to follow another horse, and he has a solid turn of foot. He knows his job, and he likes to pass horses. He sees a horse in front of him and he wants to come and get them. I just wanted to take my time with him, and when it was the right time to go, then go.”

The scratch of Two Emmys left onlookers wondering who would take the early initiative in a race full of closers. Making his third turf start, Rising Empire went to the front and poked through the fractions in 24.55 and 51.14 seconds. Odds-on favorite Atone stalked along the inside in third. Settling near the back, Rosario positioned Spooky Channel two wide, biding his time to tip out and make his late bid. Gentle Soul likewise came late from off the pace. As they both had Rising Empire measured up it was Spooky Channel who roared in the final stages to collar and clear the front runner, as Gentle Soul came up short but held on for third.

“This horse will always be special to me,” Barkley said. “He gave me my first stakes win, my first graded-stakes win, he took a year off and came back with a stakes win. A lot of firsts for us. He’s a fun horse to have in the barn and one we will always remember.”

Spooky Channel was well-backed in the wagering and returned $9.20, $5.40, and $3.60.

Another Mystery finished in fourth. Completing the order of finish English Tavern, Risk Manager, Tiz the Bomb, Native Thunder, and the 4-5 favorite Atone, who won the Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1) at Gulfstream Park last out, finished last.