Prayer for Relief Answers Call in Tenacious

Zayat Stable’s Prayer for Relief answered those of winning rider David Flores and winning trainer Steve Asmussen with a 6 ¼-length tally in the $75,000 Tenacious Handicap at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, the main event at the New Orleans oval’s six-stakes race Santa Super Saturday program.

Prayer for Relief returned mutuels of $9, $5.60 and $4, and toured the 1 1/16-miles over a fast main track in 1.43.78 after alternating for the lead early with splits of 24.21 and 48.19.  The 5-year-old horse, starting high weight in the field with 120 pounds, increased his career earnings to $1,580,913 with his eighth win in 25 career starts.

“He put me in a spot where I wanted to be,” said Flores.  “It’s never too early when you have the horse to make that kind of run.”

West Point Stable et al.’s Ground Transport stayed on for the place after setting the early fractions, paying $10.40 and $5.40 while finishing a head to the good of Robert and Lawana Low’s Agent Di Nozzo, who returned $2.80.