Photo: CDI
It Happened Again, who races in the silks of Maggi Moss, Fair Grounds’ defending owner champion, won the showcase race during
Fair Grounds’ initial hosting of the 13th Claiming Crown Saturday, capturing the
$150,000 Claiming Crown Jewel with a late surge under a well-judged ride by jockey
Shane Sellers in the richest race run so far during the young New Orleans Thoroughbred racing season.
Conditioned by Fair Grounds’ defending trainer champion
Steve Asmussen, It Happened
Again provided another magic moment for the owner and trainer, who have
both captured national titles in recent years.
After
being allowed to settle early, It Happened Again commenced his rally
when set down for the drive and caught the pacesetting
Isthmus, owned by William Butler, well inside the furlong grounds on his way to a length and a quarter score.
“It
was a typical Steve Asmussen ride,” said Sellers immediately after the
race of his ground-saving trip. “That’s the kind he wants – stay
inside and let ’em go when they want to. For a moment there I thought I
waited too long, but when I asked him he gave me what I wanted.”
The
victory, recorded as the second choice in the wagering due to It
Happened Again’s layoff since last June, did not seem too much of a
surprise
to Asmussen. “He put in a fabulous work at Churchill last fall,” said
Fair Grounds’ 10-time leading conditioner.
It
Happened Again paid $7.40, $3 and $2.80, toured the nine furlongs in
1:51.56 and increased his career earnings to $436,578 with his eighth
victory in 27 lifetime starts.
Isthmus made the pace with early splits of 23.97 and 47.33 before finishing second, paying $2.20 and $2.10.
“He was a fighter,” said jockey
Rosie Napravnik of the
runner-up. “He was pretty sharp around the first turn, wanting to go on
and be very eager, but he held on and ran great. He was really trying
down the lane.”
Isthmus’ entrymate
Al Muhtasib came in another 3 3/4-lengths behind in third. The order was completed by Harmonizer, Rein King and Tutti Buona Gente.
Compliance Officer Gets His Trip in Emerald
Winning has come easy for
Compliance Officer since being claimed by owner
Thomas La Marca and trainer Bruce Brown on May 14. Purchased in May at
Belmont
for $25,000, the 5-year-old has since won six of seven starts, including
today’s $100,000 Claiming Crown Emerald at 1 1/16 miles on turf.
“I originally claimed him as a sprinter,” La Marca said. “Then we began to stretch him out.”
Compliance Officer has won at distances from six furlongs to 1
1/8 miles, all on the turf. The only loss since being claimed came in
the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Mile in
November.
Jockey
Alex Solis, on his only mount of the day, took Compliance Officer off the pace, settling into fourth in the early going.
“He is really very easy to ride,” Solis said. “He tucked in
behind horses then I just had to be patient. I got him out at the
three-eighths pole and he did his thing.”
Compliance Office finished 2 ¾ lengths in front and returned
$3.60, $2.60 and $2.20 as the betting favorite. Jeffrey A. Columbro
& Connie Apostelos’
Baryshnikov was 2 ¾ lengths back in second, paying $3.20 and $2.60, while Maggi Moss’
Quick Delivery finished another 2 ½ lengths back in third, returning $3.60.
Compliance Officer won for the 10th time in 24 starts, upping his career earnings to $464,566.
“Bruce has done a fabulous job and Alex fits him to a ‘T’,” La Marca said. “It’s been like a fantasyland.”
Brown added: “The post really hurt him in the Breeders’ Cup.
When he’s tucked behind horses he relaxes. In the Breeders’ Cup he got
hung wide. Today he was able to tuck
in and that’s the secret.”
Rattlin Gyspy Rules in Glass Slipper
Fair Grounds’ defending jockey champion
Rosie Napravnik won her second straight race Saturday, her first in a
2011 Claiming Crown event, when she captured the
$75,000 Glass Slipper, a six-furlong sprint for fillies and mares while astride Howard, Pauley and Reiker’s
Rattlin Gyspy for trainer John Wainwright.
“I
was told to just set back and try to work her to the outside,” said
Napravnik. “I put her where she likes to be and she came flying home.”
Rattlin
Gyspy, a 4-year-old Kentucky-bred by Quest, paid $14.80, $6.20 and
$5.20 while racing at her ninth different race track over the past
year. It was her sixth career win in 24 lifetime starts and she
increased her total earnings to $167,515 while getting the
three-quarters of a mile in 1:11.45.
“We really don’t have any plans right now for her next start,” said owner
Steve Reiker. “She’s run at nine different racetracks over the last 12 months and we’re just going to enjoy the moment.”
Rattlin
Gyspy, allowed to settle, challenged for command entering the lane and
drew off for a three-length tally. Stretch Run Racing Stable’s
D’cats Meow finished second, paying $4.80 and $4.40, while finishing 2 3/4-lengths in front of Darren Fleming’s
Right to Rule, who paid $7.20 to show.
Billy, Donna and Justin Hays’
Shesadozer, part of a three-horse entry saddled by Joe Woodard, alternated on pace with splits of 21.72 and 45.41 before tiring.
Black Gold 5 Carryover
There
were no five-for-five tickets in Saturday’s Black Gold 5, setting up a
$13,084 carryover going into Sunday’s card. Those that went
four-for-five
on Saturday got back a $59.95 consolation on their 50-cent wager.