Photo: CDI
Clark Brewster’s Cherokee Queen
continued her rule over the turf-favoring filly and mare challengers to
her throne in New Orleans with a 1 l/4-length victory in Saturday’s
17th running of Fair Grounds’
featured $75,000 Marie Krantz Memorial Handicap.
The
7-year-old daughter of Cherokee Run – her rumored potential date in
the breeding shed with Malibu Moon still unconsummated as yet – repeated
her come-from-behind talents as a race mare shown earlier in this
winter in the
$75,000 Blushing K. D. Handicap
with a sweeping late run around rivals as the choice of the fans. She
returned mutuels of $6.20, $4 and $2.80 while touring the about 1
1/16-mile distance over Fair Grounds’ firm
Stall-Wilson turf course in 1:45.59. She increased her career earnings to $613,312 with her 11th win in 34 lifetime starts.
“It’s not me, it’s her,” said winning rider
Shaun Bridgmohan following
his second straight winning ride astride Cherokee Queen when asked how
he went about arriving in the winner’s circle. “All you got to do with
her is find her a place to run.”
William and Graydon Patterson’s
Juanita pressed the early
pace, could not withstand the winner in the late stages but gamely held
down the runner-up spot, paying $6.20 and $4.20 while finishing a head
in front of Steve Asmussen’s
Pleasantly Blessed, who returned $2.60
Wertheimer and Frere’s
Weekend Party made the pace with splits of 24.50 and 50.06 before weakening to fourth in the stretch run.
“We have to wait and see,” said winning trainer
Steve Margolis when asked
about Cherokee Queen’s planned future as a broodmare. “Nothing is
certain. Now we have to talk to Clark (owner Brewster) and see what he
wants to do.”