Superior Storm Has Bruised Feet

“We had a little problem with bruised feet (on Superior Storm) yesterday,” Jackson said Sunday. “We knew that going in. We thought she might be able to overcome it but she probably wasn’t at her best.

“I almost hate to talk about it because I don’t want to take anything away from the winner,” Jackson quickly added, speaking of Louisiana Champions Day Ladies heroine Ladyzarbridge, owned by Charles Zacney and Eddie Johnston. “That’s a very nice filly they have over there and I thought she ran a very nice race yesterday. I congratulate them on the race she ran. Mr. Johnston and that whole crew have done a great job with her.

“But with our horse, it was just one of those things,” Jackson said. “At noon yesterday, I was all ready to scratch her, but the blacksmith put some glued on shoes on her and we jogged her a little bit and then the blacksmith and the vet both thought we’d be OK. She’d never run in glue-on shoes before and I think that probably hurt our chances. 

“She’ll be OK,” said Jackson. “We’ll live to fight another day. That’s just horse racing. She’s run a lot of nice races for us and I’m sure she will again. We’re very fortunate to have a horse like her, and we’ll take what we can get.”

Superior Storm, bred by her owner Jack Dickerson, won the two previous renewals of the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Ladies before her runner-up finish Saturday, and also annexed the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Lassie as a 2-year-old in 2007 at Fair Grounds. She is also fourth on the list of all-time money winners among Louisiana-breds, with career earnings now at $1,036,125 with 16 wins, five seconds and one third from 27 lifetime starts.

LADYZARBRIDGE, SNAKEBITE KIT DOING WELL SUNDAY

Charles Zacney and Eddie Johnston’s Ladyzarbridge, heroine of Saturday’s $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Ladies, and Steve Hartman’s Snakebite Kit, winner of Saturday’s $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Turf, both came out of their respective races in good order and were doing well Sunday morning, according to Bobby Felks, assistant to trainer Eddie Johnston, conditioner of both those Champions Day winners.

“They are both doing great this morning,” said Felks, speaking at Johnston’s barn Sunday morning. “She (Ladyzarbridge) knows she was in a race yesterday, but he (Snakebite Kit) is acting like he never ran. I think we’re going to have some more fun with him. I’ve never seen him doing quite as good as he is right now and he’s unbeaten over this racetrack.

“As for her, she just thrives on this racetrack,” said Felks. “I mean thrives on it! She’s done a complete turn-around since she got here.

“I give a lot of the credit (for their performances) to our gallop boy Robert Mayo,” said Felks. “He’s the only one that gets on both of them in the mornings.”

STAR GUITAR STAYS IN TUNE

Brittlyn Stable’s Star Guitar, who became the only horse in history to win four Louisiana Champions Day stakes following his win in the Saturday’s $150,000 Louisiana Champions Day Classic, came out of his race in good order, assistant trainer Pam Fitzgerald indicated Sunday morning.

“I always get excited whenever he runs,” said Fitzgerald, who watched the Classic right next to the scale adjacent to Fair Grounds’ winner’s circle. “I was just glad to see him get back on track after that race he ran last time (a fourth in Delta Downs’ Gold Cup Nov. 5).”

DESERT WHEAT DOING FINE SUNDAY

Wachtel Stable, Brous Stable and Jerry D. Lee’s Desert Wheat, a disappointing fifth Saturday’s $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Turf after winning the race a year ago, emerged unscathed, according to Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott’s assistant Rudolphe Brisset.

“He’s fine today,” said Brisset Sunday morning. “I think the timing of the race was bad, coming just two weeks after his last race. I think probably that’s a little too quick for him, but that’s the way the schedule worked out this year.”