Photo: CDI
Carl Moore’s Speedacious
broke in stride to make the pace and continued willingly throughout to take Saturday’s $60,000
Happy Ticket Stakes for accredited Louisiana-bred older fillies and mares at Fair Grounds by 4 1/2-lengths.
The daughter of Yankee Gentleman trained by
Bret Calhoun toured the 5
1/2-furlong distance in a rapid 1:03.37 after setting early fractions
of 21.92 and 44.65. She increased her career earnings to $169,300 with
her fourth career win in nine lifetime starts.
“We know she’s got a lot of speed,” said winning rider
Carlos Gonzalez. “Break sharp and see where she is at. Just ride her. I love this filly. She means a lot to me.”
Speedacious paid $13.20, $5.40 and $3.40, while runner-up favorite
Cajun Conference, owned
by Southern Equine Stables, returned $3 and $2.20 while finishing 3 1/2
lengths to the good of John Duvieilh and Keith and Earl Hernandez’
Cherry Forever, who paid $2.40
Earlier in the afternoon, Sara Citron’s
Chief Jay took command in the late stages and outfought Lee Young’s
Flashy Wise Cat to win the $60,000
John Jackson Memorial by a neck. The latter gained the place in the final strides by a half-length from Charles Fletcher’s
My Star Runner but could not match the winner.
My Star Runner pressed the pace of Foxwood Plantation’s
Foreign Production, gained the advantage from that frontrunner in mid-stretch, could not stay with the top two but clearly bested the others.
Chief
Jay accomplished the 5 1/2-furlong distance in 1:03.39, increased his
career earnings to $199,560 with his sixth win in 17 lifetime starts
and paid $20.80, $7.80 and $3.
Flashy Wise Cat returned $2.80 and $2.10 while My Star Runner paid $2.20.