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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