Fair Grounds Race Course | Horse Racing Free Tips

Who Took the Money Rolls In Louisiana Champions Day Turf

Who Took the Money, the Allied Racing Stable homebred, has been a challenge in many ways, but in Saturday's $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Turf at Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, La., he may have found his niche.

Off slowly in the field of 11, the 3-year-old gelded son of Street Boss, was far off the early pace set by 1.30-1 favorite Mangelsen through honest early fractions of :23.81, :48.97, and 1:14.15 with the rail 20 feet out on the Stall-Wilson Turf Course, but once jockey Deshawn Parker found clear sailing to the outside, the horse did the rest.

“We wanted to get a little better break, but he didn't break too sharp today,” Parker said. “He was so relaxed on the backside. When I called on him, he gave me an explosion. He gobbled them up so fast. As soon as I got to them, he just rolled by.”

Sent off as the third choice at 3.40-1, Who Took the Money stopped the timer in 1:45.93 for the 1 1/16 miles distance on grass, besting fellow deep closers Budro Talking (13.40-1), also trained by Calhoun) and Treys Midnight Moon by 5 ¾ and 7 ¾ lengths respectively, while the pacesetting Mangelsen faded to third.

Who Took the Money was cross-entered in the Classic, but trainer Bret Calhoun opted to run eventual runner-up Highland Creek there instead.

“We tried him (Who Took the Money) on turf once before and he ran alright,” Calhoun said. “We had two horses that could have gone either way so I had to make a tough decision. Knowing his pedigree, I just thought he would be the right one for the grass. He really showed the kind of turn of foot today that we were wanting to see. We were disappointed a little early on because of the break and we were kind of buried behind traffic. I wasn't optimistic early in the race, but when he (rider Parker) kicked him out. The horse exploded.”

Last year as a 3-year-old, Who Took the Money flipped in the post parade prior to the running of the Crescent City Derby, but won the race anyway as the .50-1 favorite. His behavior hasn't improved all that much since.

“He's not as difficult to train as he is to run,” Calhoun explained. “The antics in the paddock and going to the gate, he'll test you. He's got quite a bit of ability, but he's got some (mental) issues.”

With the win, Who Took the Money boosted his record to 8-5-0-1 with earnings of $217,627.

“At the top of the stretch I was looking at Bret and I didn't think we had a shot, and then boom,” Thomas said. “We really didn't know what to expect. We thought he'd be alright on the turf. Bret made a good call (to run him in this race). Deshawn rode a great race. We're delighted.”

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Fort Polk Gets Louisiana Champions Day Ladies Distaff Win On Home Ground

Everyone knows the secret to winning begins with getting your opponent on your court, not theirs. For Fort Polk, the 3.10 third choice in the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Ladies Distaff, home court advantage is the Fair Grounds main track in New Orleans, La. It may have been just what this improving 6-year old needed to beat the one horse who almost always has gotten the best of her, the 2.20-1 second choice Net a Bear. The much-loved previous Louisiana Champion could only muster finishing third of five.

It was a valiant effort by the bettor's 1.30-1 favorite Winning Romance to set the early fractions of :24.63 and :48.85 and hold on for second. But jockey Jorge Guzman and Fort Polk took it to her coming into the turn, accelerating three wide, passing at the ¾ pole, and keeping to business in the home stretch to win by two lengths. Make it $226,650 in lifetime earnings and a 30-7-4-8 record for this daughter by Behindatthebar that has been with trainer Patrick Mouton's barn from day one.

“She's always been a good horse,” Mouton said. “Actually, I think she is getting better with age. She is going to be six pretty soon. She ran super all summer. We got beat only once when we ran on turf and she doesn't really care for the turf.”

Fort Polk has won four out of the last five since adding blinkers. The one loss coming on turf – to Net A Bear. Jockey Jorge Guzman had a ton of horse that day but went wide in traffic and had to pump the breaks often when Fort Polk got in too tight and Net a Bear left her in the clippings. Tables turned in the Louisiana Champions Day Ladies Distaff and Fort Polk gave her five lengths of dirt to chew on until they meet again.

“She was a little flat,” Net a Bear's regular rider Timothy Thornton said. “We know she is better on the grass, but you know we were hoping it would set up good for her. She ran her race, she was just a little bit flat. She is a much better grass horse than on the dirt. She is a nice filly. I was tracking the winner the whole way around there and when he went at the 3/8ths pole, I tried going with him, but she just didn't have enough.”

The pace unfolded as expected as Winning Romance took the lead, Elieen Alexandra pressed, Quikfast n Ahurry sat the pocket trip, and Net a Bear followed Fort Polk through two turns. Winning Romance ran well enough but early company made it hard to battle and sustain.

“We got pressured from the 5 [Eileen Alexandra] down the backstretch,” Winning Romance's rider Deshawn Parker said, “but she gave her all to the finish.”

Louisiana Champions Day is like the Breeders; Cup for local connections. They target these races and put their hearts into reaching the winner's circle. Once there, Patrick Mouton took it all in and expressed his satisfaction.

“Listen, I don't travel, I stay here in the state,” Mouton said. “I stay in Louisiana 99 and 9/10% of the time,” Mouton said. “Winning this kind of race is a big deal, it's the epitome.”

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Ova Charged Digs In To Win Louisiana Champions Day Ladies Sprint

For some, the most anticipated and most hyped race on Saturday's Louisiana Champions Day card at Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, La., was over in the paddock. Prior to the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Ladies Sprint, one of ten stakes on the day, Ova Charged, the beautiful bay by Star Guitar, out of Cotton Charged, made her rounds – beaming, confident, focused. She has looked like a champion in her stall, in her workouts, beating optional claimers two weeks prior on November 28th, but what about up against the best filly and mare sprinters in Louisiana—did this lightly raced filly have enough to take on the class and grit of graded stakes winner Cilla?

The answer is yes.

76.00-1 longshot Sumitup hustled through the mix of sharp breaks to get the lead and sped on setting the opening first quarter fraction of :21.89. Breaking inside the early leader, second-choice 1.90-1 Cilla was close to the front but relaxed and shifted to one path outside to be joined by quickening 25.30-1 shot Sarah's Passion, who pressed tightly and did not let up pressure. The pair moved through the turn behind the leader but took over the front at the half pole. And that's when everyone wondered, where is .40-1 favorite Ova Charged?

Breaking slowest of the field, rider Reylu Gutierrez guided Ova Charged at the back of the pack going four-wide through the turn while targeting the main foe. As Cilla put away Sarah's Passion, it looked like she could sustain. Drifting in, Ova Charged seemed to lose focus but Gutierrez came with the crop and Star Guitar's talented 3-year-old showed more than talent, digging in with Cilla in her sights and the finishing line just beyond, Ova Charged showed the heart of a Louisiana-bred champion and won by ¾ length over Cilla who never gave up. Five starts, four wins, and one graded stakes second totaling $174,600 lifetime earnings. The connections were in attendance and they were proud.

“It's an honor to ride for Jose's stable, to ride Ova Charged,” jockey Reylu Gutierrez said. “What a smart, talented, strong, physically and mentally imposing filly. I am really delighted I can ride her. Two champion fillies neither of them deserved to lose.”

Cilla's trainer Brett Brinkman had indicated before the race that the goal was to keep teaching Cilla to relax, but when you get drawn the 3 post, inside a filly like Ova Charged, it forced their hand when it came time to run.

“The post position dictated what we had to do,” Brinkman said. “The only two disappointing finishes I've had with her lately have been in the lane and we've been the target. When we are fixed on a target, we are much better off. I think that's the same way with his filly [Ova Charged]. She's a fighter, those are two good mares right there. She had the benefit of a recent race, which is no excuse. My filly fights, she's good. I'd like to turn the tables and have the outside the other way and force his hand. That's just the competitor in me.”

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After the slow start, Ova Charged's connections didn't know this race could unfold in their favor.

“I was worried at the beginning because she didn't break sharp,” Fair Grounds co-leading trainer Jose Camejo said. “When she was coming home I knew she had a lot of horse left, but I knew she still had to pass the three [Cilla]. She got it done and we are so proud of what she did.”

The other co-leading trainer, Ron Faucheux, sent out 15.30 – 1 Strong Beauty who finished well for third place. An impressive turning out by her and the other sharp fillies in this race. 25.30 – 1 Sarah's Passion holding on for fourth. 14 – 1 Snowball finished fifth. Then 116.70 – 1 Sienna Breeze finished ahead of the tiring early speed Sumitup.

On a day dedicated to Louisiana's best horses and horsemen, Ova Charged owner's said it best:

“Louisiana I love you,” said Evelyn Benoit of Brittlyn Stables. “And I love Star Guitar.”

As for Cilla's next steps, her trainer has a solid plan.

“I am shooting for a summer career with her,” Brinkman said. “We weren't pointing to this race but it was a race I wanted to hit. We'll look to hit a race in February, then we are going back up the country.”

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Grand Luwegee Goes Gate To Wire In Louisiana Champions Day Classic Stakes

On the Louisiana Champions Day card, state-bred horses were center stage, with Grand Luwegee, winner of the 2020 Champions Day Classic, repeating his winning performance at Fair Grounds in New Orleans, La.

A year after he dueled with Shang in the stretch and eked out a Classic win by a head, the 6-year-old was fastest away from the gate, taking the lead over Pound for Pound and Unrestricted into the first turn. He maintained that lead down the backstretch, moving out to a two-length advantage over Pound for Pound and Highland Creek. Into the far turn, Grand Luwegee held on in the face of challenges from those two as they entered the stretch.

Down the Fair Grounds straight, Grand Luwegee was two lengths to the good as Highland Creek passed Pound for Pound midstretch. The 2020 victor had no trouble repeating in 2021, stretching his lead out to three lengths at the wire. Highland Creek was second and Pound for Pound held on for third. Jimi's a Star, Secret Vista, Mageez, and Unrestricted rounded out the order of finish.

The final time was 1:51.00. Find this race's chart here.

Grand Luwegee paid $8.00, $3.40, and $2.60. Highland Creek paid $3.00 and $2.20. Pound for Pound paid $2.20.

Bred in Louisiana by trainer/owner Gerard Perron, Grand Luwegee is by El Corredor out of the Gold Fever mare Magical Mia. With his win in the Lousiana Champions Day Classic, the 6-year-old horse has two wins in nine starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of eight wins in 30 starts and career earnings of $491,150.

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