Fair Grounds gets Under Way with Louisiana-bred Action

A trio of overnight $50,000 Louisiana-bred stakes kicked off the 2016-17 Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots meet on Saturday afternoon, with Benwill, Nubin Ridge and Sunny Oak proving victorious at the New Orleans oval. 

In the Mr. Sulu Stakes over a mile on the Stall-Wilson turf course, Royce G. Roberts’ 7-year-old horse Benwill ($11, $5.40 and $3) proved age was no factor when stalking, pouncing and out-nodding a sophomore colt less than half his age in James Boyd’s Berniestrike ($14.60 and $6) by a nose at the wire. It was another three-quarters of a length back to Charles C. Smith’s 3-1 favorite String King ($3) in third. 

Stopping the clock in 1:36.06 under John Jacinto, the son of Leestown won for the eighth time in 35 starts and banked $29,760 to increase his career earnings to $340,923. 

“I was in a good spot,” Jacinto said. “With the one-hole, it was my plan to be in a stalking position. I saved some ground, cut the corner and when I asked him to go he responded very well for me.”

The Heitai Stakes, over six furlongs on the main track, saw a swift pace of 21.77 and 45.07 fall into the lap of Circle H Farms’ Alan Klanfer-trained Nubin Ridge ($21.20, $7.80 and $5), whose extended drive from 11th of 13 under Ashley Broussard culminated with a head victory over the favored pair of Dare To Dream Stable’s Jockamo’s Song ($4.60 and $3) and Gillian and Kirk Harris’ Sir Genghis ($2.80), who were separated by a neck.

Nubin Ridge finished up in 1:10.57, giving the son of Gold Tribute his eighth victory from 52 starts and allowing the $29,760 to increase his career earnings to $471,815. 

“It’s pretty awesome,” Broussard said. “I ride a lot for the connections, so it feels great. They were going pretty quick up on the front and my horse always comes from way in the back. I kept him as close as I could and when he saw daylight, he came running.”

Capping the trio of stakes, the Happy Ticket Stakes over six furlongs for fillies and mares 3-year-olds and up produced a strong performance from Keith Plaisance’s Eddie Johnston-trained Sunny Oak ($8.60, $5.20 and $3), who successfully cut back in trip from a series of route races, closing resolutely through the stretch to defeat Roger G. Smith’s Smittys Cougar ($5 and $2.60) by two lengths, with a head back to W. C. Racing’s even-money favorite Ramona’s Wildcat ($2.20) in third.

The 3-year-old daughter of Giant Oak stopped the clock in 1:10.76 under Miguel Mena, winning the fourth race of her young nine-race career and allowing the $29,760 winner’s share to increase her career bankroll to $168,440. The victory was her second stakes victory from her last four starts.

“I had a great trip. The boss said to keep her close without getting run off her feet. So we did and we were midpack on the outside. When I called on her at the eighth-pole, she had a nice kick and went by them and drew away,” Mena said. “She’s been running longer, but Eddie had so much confidence and told me ‘she’s been training so good and you’re going to blow by them at the end’ and we did and he was right.”

The all-stakes $0.50 Pick 3 (Races 4-6) returned $142.

Source: Fair Grounds Race Course and Slots