Stallion Heiress sparkles in Broussard

Stallionaire Enterprises’ Stallion Heiress was nothing short of dominant in her stakes debut Saturday afternoon at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, sauntering home an easy 7¾-length gate-to-wire winner under Mitchell Murrill for trainer Mike Stidham in the $50,000 Joseph E. ‘Spanky’ Broussard Memorial.

Making her second start and first around two turns, the 3-year-old daughter of Exchange Rate immediately jumped out to the lead from her rail post in the six-filly field, opening a nine-length advantage through fractions of 23.99, 47.96 and 1:13.58 for six furlongs before coming home in hand in 1:37.28 for the grassy mile. She had not raced since airing on debut Dec. 8 going 5½ furlongs over the same Stall-Wilson turf course.

Finishing a distant second was Hugh Robertson’s Hotshot Anna under Marcelino Pedroza, followed by Tom Proctor-trained second choice Rum Go in third with Sophie Doyle.

Stallion Heiress returned $4, $3 and $2.10 as the even-money favorite, while Hotshot Anna returned $4.20 and $2.20 and Rum Go returned $2.10 to show. The bay filly increased her career bankroll to $53,490 for ownership principal Rick Kanter, who paid $100,000 for her at Keeneland’s September 2015 yearling sale.

“I was a little concerned coming off the sprint with how fast she ran then, but she relaxed really good for me,” Murrill said. “She did everything and I was just a passenger.”

“That was impressive,” Stidham added. “She did it all on her own. You always worry coming out of one sprint race going two turns, plus having a bit of a layoff, but she has class and she did it nicely.”