Fair Grounds undercard: West Omaha, Saudi Crown win
After sitting a close fourth up the backstretch, odds-on favorite West Omaha picked off rivals in the second turn and ran on to about a five-length victory Saturday in the Grade 3, $150,000 Silverbulletday Stakes on a clear, cold day at Fair Grounds.
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The race for 3-year-old fillies was worth 20-10-6-4-2 points for the top five finishers toward qualifying for the Kentucky Oaks (G1) on May 3 at Churchill Downs.
A Gary and Mary West homebred sired by West Coast and trained by Brad Cox, West Omaha (4-5) was ridden to her second victory by Luis Sáez, the filly’s fourth different jockey in as many races. Her previous victory came in a maiden race Nov. 3 at Churchill Downs. Her last start resulted in a runner-up placing in the Untapable on Dec. 23 over the same course and distance as the Silverbulletday.
Perfect Shot (2-1) finished second, Sistina Chapel (8-1) third, Miss Code West fourth (5-1), Accommodate Eva (11-1) fifth and Noriskit Biscuit (36-1) last in the field of six. Play Good Pay Good and Ma Rae’s Girl were scratched.
The winning time for the mile and 70 yards on the fast main track was 1:43.48 following early fractions of 24.63, 48.84, 1:13.70 and 1:39.41.
West Omaha returned $3.80, $2.20 and $2.10; Perfect Shot $2.80 and $2.20; and Sistina Chapel $2.40.
Saudi Crown leads all the way in Louisiana
Tuning up for next month’s $20 million Saudi Cup (G1), odds-on favorite Saudi Crown led the entire way in a geared-down, 5 3/4-length triumph in the $175,000 Louisiana Stakes (G3) for older horses going 1 1/16 miles.
Owned by Mohammed Faisal al Qahtani’s FMQ Stables, trained by Cox and ridden by Florent Géroux, 4-year-old Saudi Crown (3-5) set fractions of 24.14, 47.93 and 1:12.10 on the way to his winning time of 1:43.20.
Red Route One (4-1) came in second, Happy American (23-1) third and Five Star General (11-1) fourth in the field of six.
Saudi Crown, who won the 2023 Pennsylvania Derby (G1) before finishing 10th in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, paid $3.40, $2.40 and $2.10; Red Route One $3.20 and $2.80; and Happy American $4.80.