Highly Regarded Turf Filly Lou Headlines Broussard

Thad Ackel’s highly regarded sophomore turf filly Lou returns to the track over which she was a powerful winner when the daughter of Gio Ponti takes on 12 others in the $50,000 Joseph E. Spanky Broussard Stakes on Friday, Feb. 5. Slated for about 7½ furlongs over the Stall-Wilson turf course, the Broussard drew three also-eligibles.

 

Trained by leading conditioner Mike Stidham, Lou was last seen winning her second of three career efforts on Dec. 6 at Fair Grounds by four easy lengths. An Ackel homebred, the gray filly won on debut at Indiana Grand last fall and was an even fourth in her second try at Keeneland, while fractious in the gate beforehand. In her December effort, the daughter of Fair Grounds allowance winner Skyward Exchange was professional in victory and will have the return services of leading jockey Florent Geroux from post four on Friday.

 

Another local allowance winner, Carolyn Friedberg and Jeff Larson’s Inconclusive (Miguel Mena, post nine) returns to stakes company in the Broussard for trainer Richie Scherer. The chestnut daughter of Include ran well last out on Jan. 8, winning by a half-length and showing marked improvement over her previous efforts.

 

Defeated by both Lou and Inconclusive in their aforementioned allowance tallies was Claiborne Farm’s homebred Al Stall, Jr., trainee Lope (Brian Hernandez, Jr., post five). A sharp winner when graduating at Keeneland in her third start, the daughter of Arch was third behind Lou after a traffic-hindered trip and then was out-kicked when second behind a driving Inconclusive.

 

Three minor stakes winners line up against the aforementioned trio, including Douglas Scharbauer’s Bret Calhoun-trained More Than Most (Jamie Theriot, post ten), who wheels back after a dull seventh in the Listed $150,000 Silverbulletday Stakes over the main track on Jan. 16. Two races prior, the daughter of Indygo Mountain was a 4½-length winner of the $75,000 La Senorita over the Retama Park turf.

 

Arindel Farm’s homebred Ronny Werner trainee Pancake (Manny Esquivel, post 12) – a winner of the $100,000 Juvenile Turf Stakes at Gulfstream Park West three back – gets some class relief when she ships in from south Florida after taking on some of that circuit’s top turf fillies in the $100,000 Ginger Brew Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 2 and finishing eighth.

 

Roger Smith’s homebred Louisiana-bred Smittys Cougar (Jose Valdivia, Jr., post seven) looks to prove she can be as effective at two turns on the grass as she is going one on the dirt. A runaway winner last out in the $96,970 Louisiana Futurity going six furlongs on the Fair Grounds main track, the speedy daughter of Half Ours will get a stamina test for trainer Ron Faucheux.