South Georgia Tigers’ odds-on favorite Ide Ball,
placed just behind the early leaders in Friday’s Starlight Racing
$45,000 optional claiming feature at Fair Grounds, appeared to lose
interest in the running in upper stretch but rallied on the outside
in the late stages to be best by 2 3/4-lengths at the wire.
Trained by
Eddie Johnston, Ide Ball was ridden by
John Jacinto, scoring his
first win since returning from a broken wrist suffered earlier in the
meeting. The winner returned mutuels of $3.60, $2.40 and $2.10 as the
choice of the fans, increased his career earnings
to $308,353 with his 10th win in 34 lifetime starts and accomplished
the six furlong distance in 1:10.35.
Louie Roussel III’s
Seven Mile Bridge, unhurried early, rallied to gain the place by a neck from CCD Racing Stable’s
Power Surge. Seven
Mile Bridge paid $3.80 and $2.60 in the runner-up spot while Power Surge returned $2.40 to show.
Jerry Cart’s
Red Salt made the pace with early splits of 21.70 and 44.79 but gave way entering the lane.
Racing resumes Saturday at Fair Grounds for a 12-race
Louisiana Derby Day Preview program headed by the
Grade II Risen Star Stakes and featuring a total of six stakes races, four of which are graded.