Louisiana Champions Day | Horse Racing Free Tips

Unified Reports Stays Undefeated With Win In Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile

On Monday, trainer Dallas Stewart welcomed his first grandchild into the world, and just a few short days later, Henry Lane Stewart and family watched from afar as Valene Farms' Unified Report would score yet another Louisiana Champions Day win for grandpa.

Sent off as the .70-1 favorite in the $100,000 Juvenile, the sophomore son of Unified, tracked the pace set by the embattled Grunt and Charco through contested fractions of :21.76 and :45.63. Four-wide on the turn for home, he battled briefly with eventual third place finisher Charco mid-stretch before putting that rival away. Unified Report led into the deep stretch, and held safe of the late closing 1.80-1 second choice, the maiden Bron and Brow, stopping the timer in 1:10.55.

“Truly it all goes back to thanking Mr. Murray (owner Valene),” Hernandez said. “Year after year, he just keeps finding these really good Louisiana-breds. I think this is like the third or fourth year in a row we've won one of these 2-year-old (stakes) races. He (Unified Report) looked like he was the best horse in the race and I just did my job, give him the cleanest trip we could. He's a young horse, but he was two for two (coming in) so he's got a little experience behind him. There were for of them in front, so I just let him find his rhythm, I got him in the clear and off he went. What really impressed me today was the way he galloped out. He hit the wire and kind of stepped away from those horses again, so he kind of shows you that he wants to stretch out and go to two turns.”

With the win, Unified Report remained perfect from three starts, increasing his bankroll to $154,720 in the process.

Bron and Brow, who finished third at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif., in his career debut, added blinkers for the Juvenile, and after a difficult trip with some traffic trouble, he too stamped himself as a youngster to watch.

“It was a little troubled trip for me,” jockey Deshawn Parker admitted. “He was trying to run and had nowhere to go for a while. So once I came out of the turn, I tried to dig him out. But it was real trouble. Trouble. He's a maiden but he won't be a maiden much longer.”

“We had a horrible trip,” assistant trainer David Carroll added. “He was loaded the whole way, had to check hard off heels, then had to wait for room. He closed fast. To me, he was much the best horse in the race. He's a talented colt and we look forward to running him back. That's racing.”

A longtime supporter of Louisiana racing, Murray Valene was thrilled with his colt's performance.

“We had an undefeated filly (Big Time) win for us on this day last year, and this year it was the colt (Unified Report),” Valene said. “I want to thank Dallas Stewart and his team for doing such a great job. This colt looks like he wants to go longer and he might have the talent to do it successfully.”

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Monte Man Repeats In Louisiana Champions Day Sprint

At the age of eight, Ivery Sisters Racing's Monte Man is the gift that keeps on giving. Claimed for $25,000 way back in October of 2017, the son of Custom for Carlos scored the ninth stakes win of his career on Saturday, repeating the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Sprint.

Fourth behind hot and contested early fractions of :21.58 and :44.53 set by his stablemate Bertie's Galaxy with pressure from Takes Two To Tango, Swot Analysis, and the 1.4-1 favorite No Parole, the table was set, and Monte Man feasted in the stretch.

“Before the race, Ron (trainer Faucheux) and I could almost see it playing into his favor,” Beschizza said. “All the credit to the horse. He's just an iron horse, really. A couple of years ago, they (the connections) could have just retired him and given him a nice second life, but he just seems to be so spontaneous in the mornings. Ron just tells me that, year after year. True to that word, he's bounced back here and Ron had him in great shape. The team has been a huge supporter of mine and I can't thank them enough.”

Bertie's Galaxy (3.50-1) dug in gamely in the stretch, but he could not hold off Monte Man, who prevailed by ¾ of a length, stopping the timer in 1:09.91. It was 4 ½ lengths back to Sir Wellington (4.40-1 in third. No Parole, the former Grade I winner, pressed the pace briefly while four-wide, but he failed to make the course.

“He (No Parole) is fine, but since his layoff, he hasn't shown that he wants to compete in the afternoons despite working well in the mornings,” trainer Tom Amoss said of No Parole. He is completely sound and Maggi (owner Moss) has decided to retire him.”

In his first start off the claim for trainer Ron Faucheux, Monte Man won a local optional claimer in December 2017, which was the start of a seven-race winning streak. After running third in the Sprint in 2018 and fourth in the 2019 renewal, Monte Man won the race last year, and he was up to the task once again.

“I think he's just getting better, we're just getting started with him, you know, we got a long way to go,” Faucheux said in jest. “He's every trainer's dream. He's just so consistent. He gives it his all every race. To have an 8-year-old turning nine, stay sound throughout the whole process, and just continue to progress, it's unbelievable. It's real privilege to train him for Ivery Sister Racing. They let us place him appropriately, take our time between races, and that makes all the difference with this horse. We 100% will go for the three-peat as a 9-year-old.”

Monte Man boosted his career record to 50-18-8-9 with earnings of $794,223.

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Buckley Bunny Surprises In Louisiana Champions Day Lassie

In what was easily the biggest upset of Saturday's Louisiana Champions Day card at Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, La., the Whispering Oaks Farm homebred Buckley Bunny rallied from far off the pace to take down the $100,000 Lassie.

Ninth early behind contested fractions of :21.98 and :45.86, the sophomore daughter of Iron Fist picked off a couple of horses on the turn under jockey Kevin Smith before uncorking the winning, five-wide rally in the stretch.

“The plan was just letting her settle herself in and make one run with her. Mr. Steve (trainer Flint) said don't rush her. I took her back, waited until the 3/8ths pole, and let her run. I did what he told me to do. When I let her go, she fought.”

Basalt Street (6.00-1) and Beleout (37.10) battled early, with 2.00-1 favorite Free Like a Girl, the winner of three consecutive stakes coming in, tucked in fifth. She tipped out three-wide and made a solid bid in the stretch, but was simply outkicked by the longshot winner, losing by ¾ of a length over six furlongs run in 1:11.76. It was just another neck back to the late closing Medley (3.80-1) in third.

“I don't think she had any pace to run into last time,” Flint explained. “It's not like filly the filly wouldn't appreciate a stretch like today. We had some pace. Kevin rode her to a tee. I told him, don't move until you hit the 3/8ths pole, let her go, and let's see what we got. She responded well. I got a little of that (93-1).”

A winner at first asking back in June, Buckley Bunny entered the Lassie on a four-race losing streak. She now sports a career record of 6-2-1-1 with earnings of $93.660.

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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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