Gillian Campbell et al.’s Summer Applause got rave reviews from her rider
Robby Albarado after she proved clearly best in Saturday’s
Grade III Rachel Alexandra Stakes as the final prep for the upcoming
$500,000 Fair Grounds Oaks March 31.
“(Summer
Applause) was a great ride from the start to the end,” said Albarado,
seven-time Fair Grounds jockey champion Albarado in the winner’s
circle after the $200,000 Rachel Alexandra. “She rated kindly on the
backside. We thought we’d be third or fourth and we were. I was just
trying to be a good passenger. I got clear turning for home and she ran
home nice. She’s grown up rapidly in the last
couple of weeks.”
The race unfolded as Albarado explained it, with eventual runner-up
Avie’s Sense, owned by Tall Oaks Farm, setting early fractions of 24.16 and 47.54 while being rated by jockey
James Graham. Summer
Applause challenged her in the late stages and drew clear by a length at
the wire, returning mutuels of $8.40, $4.40 and $2.80 while increasing
her career earnings to $202,906 with her third
victory in five lifetime starts. The daughter of Harlan’s Holiday got the 1 1/16-mile distance in 1:43.30.
Avie’s
Sense, who broke her maiden at last asking, could not stay with the
winner late but was easily second best, paying $8.20 and $4.40 while
finishing 3 1/2-lengths to the good of Jake Ballis’s Inny Minnie, who returned $3 to show.
What’s next for Summer Applause?
“We are going to enjoy the moment,” said winning trainer
Bret Calhoun. “We want to get the right spacing for her. Obviously, the ultimate goal is the
Kentucky Oaks and we want to figure out the best way to get her there.”
LOOK AT THE TIME WINS GENTILLY STAKES
Hooties Racing’s Look At the Time,
rated just behind the early leaders, cut to the rail after
entering the stretch and drew off with intermittent urging to win
Saturday’s
$60,000 Gentilly Stakes for accredited Louisiana-bred sophomores by three and a quarter lengths.
Trained by
Wes Hawley and ridden by Corey Lanerie, the winner toured the about one mile distance over a
Stall-Wilson turf course
rated “good” in 1:39.95, increased his career earnings to $60,974 with
his second win in three career starts and returned mutuels of $8.20, $5
and $4.40.
Look
At the Time, an altered son of Brahms, was also first under the wire in
his career debut but was disqualified and placed fourth.
Danny Ray Butler’s
Benwill, unhurried early,
rallied in the stretch to gain the place in the Gentilly, paying $5.60
and $4 while finishing a head to the good of Larry Johnson’s
Beckyboy, who paid $8.40 to show.
Todd Dick’s
Wits End and Dan Lynch, Ken Sentel and Merrill Scherer’s
Freddie One Bite alternated for the early lead with splits of 24.67 and 49.54 but tired from their efforts.