Catalano-trained Built keys KY horses dominance at Fair Grounds
Horses based much of the year in Kentucky swept Saturday’s stakes at the Fair Grounds, including two victories by trainer and Louisville product Whit Beckman. Fair Grounds publicist Kevin Kilroy has the recaps, with Hodges Photography photos (including, above, Built winning the Gun Runner).
Built Piles it On the Gun Runner Field, Earns Ten Points Towards Kentucky Derby 151
New Orleans, La (Dec. 21, 2024) – To the lead and with plenty left in the tanks, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ Built took the early lead and pulled away by 6 3/4 lengths to win the $100,000 Gun Runner Stakes on Road to the Derby Kickoff Day at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. To the winner goes the spoils and Built earned 10 points winning the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) prep race.
Trained by Wayne Catalano, the Hard Spun colt received the services of Jareth Loveberry. Corey Lanerie originally had the call but could not make it to town due to a delayed flight.
“You always like it when the pace is slow and you’re on the lead,” Catalano said. “Drawing the rail with speed, he handled it well. These are the moments you work every day and get up in the morning for. Today was our day. I appreciate the opportunities all our clients give us and all our help back in the barn.”
In his first try at two turns, Built covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.53. He was sent off at 7-2.
After chasing the front runner throughout, Magnitude never menaced in the stretch and crossed the finish line in second by 8 lengths.
“I found out this morning at 9 o’clock I would be riding him,” Loveberry said. “(Catalano) had him well-meant today. He was well-trained. He is a nice horse and did everything the right way. He turned for home and was ready to finish.”
Built’s record now stands at 3-2-0-1 with $120,204 in the bank.
With his second place finish in the Gun Runner, Magnitude earned 5 points towards a spot in Kentucky Derby 151. Render Judgment overcame a slight stumble for third (3 points). Admiral Dennis could not muster a rally, finishing fourth (2 points). Chris’s Revenge rounded out the Gun Runner field (1 point).
Road to the Derby Kickoff Day stakes action began with the 75th running of the $100,000 Sugar Bowl, a 6 furlong juvenile sprint and it’s female counterpart, the $100,000 Letellier Memorial.
Sent off as the odds-on favorite, S.O.K. Racing, Gervais Racing, On Our Own Stable, Zak Stables and Dallas Stewart’s Touch Catch finished strong under Luis Saez to add a first stakes victory to the Complexity 2-year-old’s resume. After stalking the leaders, Tough Catch seized the lead at the top of the stretch and then powered home to win by 1 length over a game late effort from the first-time starter Doroteo. Tough Catch covered the six panels in 1:10.48
Trained by Dallas Stewart, Tough Catch had been knocking on the door of an added money win in his last two races, finishing second in both the Ed Brown and the Bowman Mill.
“He showed his talent today,” Stewart said. “Coming out of the Hopeful, he had a little foot issue, but we got through that well. This horse is a fighter. He finishes his races off now. We hope that he stretches out. We might try him in the Lecomte.”
A debut winner with Luis Saez aboard, Touch Catch has a 4-2-2-0 record with $201,200 in the bank.
“He’s learned a lot since I rode him last,” Saez said. “Dallas has done a great job with him. Today he was in a great spot and came with a big run. He’s a nice horse.”
Her Laugh Uncatchable in the Untapable, Earns 10 Points Towards 151st Kentucky Oaks
Stretching out to 1 mile 70 yards after debuting a winner at 6 furlongs, Grantley Acres’ homebred Her Laugh shot to the front of the $100,000 Untapable field and never looked back. Banking 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks with her win Saturday at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, the Practical Joke filly trained by Whit Beckman beat out post-time favorite Golden Gamble by 2 1/2 lengths with a final time of 1:43.72.
“I told Axel just break and put her where she is comfortable,” Beckman said. “Seeing the fractions, how she was carrying him and how composed she was, I knew we were in the best spot. It was perfect. This day worked out very well.”
Beckman teamed up with jockey Axel Concepcion to win two stakes on the Road to the Derby Kickoff Day card, including with Simply Joking in the Letellier. Both Her Laugh and Simply Joking are owned by Grantley Acres.
“(Her Laugh) broke good, relaxed very well,” Concepcion said. “I asked at the quarter pole and she responded. I knew she had a lot of talent from working her since she was in Kentucky three months ago. She did it all and I am very grateful for the owners and the trainer for the opportunity.”
Golden Gamble traveled wide, off the pace, and appeared green down the stretch but managed to rally for second over a gallant effort from last by California Sunset. Golden Gamble earned 5 Oaks qualifying points and California Sunset, 3. After threatening at the top of the stretch, Stable Currency held on for fourth to earn 2 points. Drexel Hill, Beckman’s other entry in the Untapable, finished fifth for 1 point.
A perfect 2 wins in two starts, Her Laugh has earned $102,000.
Cox-trained Saudi Crown just misses track record in Tenacious
FMQ Stables’ 2023 Louisiana (G3) winner Saudi Crown returned to Fair Grounds to add the $100,000 Tenacious to his titles. After pressing Track Phantom through the early stages, Saudi Crown bid past at the 1/4 pole and proved victorious, covering the 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.35, just shy of the track record of 1:42.01 set by Olympiad in 2022.
The Brad Cox trained exacta included the lightly raced Kinetic, who rallied from off the pace for second, two lengths back from his stablemate.
“We were thinking about entering Saudi Crown in the Cigar Mile after the Breeders’ Cup,” Cox said. “I felt like I needed to work him a few more times, find a little bit softer spot. I didn’t want to do too much with him, so we could get his confidence back up, and I thought this was a great spot to try. Hopefully we can move forward off this.”
The 4-year-old colt was reunited with Florent Geroux, who has been aboard Saudi Crown for all but one of his 12 starts.
“He was by far the class of the race,” Geroux said. “He relaxed very nicely. Sometimes when he doesn’t make the lead, he gets eager, but I was pleased with how comfortably he was traveling. I thought he came home very nicely, especially the last quarter of the mile. He put away Track Phantom right before the quarter pole and did it on his own, finishing with a lot of reserves. I’m very pleased with him.”
The multiple graded stake winner who also finished third in the 2024 Saudi Cup (G1) now has $3,130,985 in career earnings with a 12-6-2-1 lifetime record.
Asmussen-trained Gigante takes Diliberto in return to Fair Grounds
Gigante overcame an awkward start to in the $100,000 Buddy Diliberto Memorial Stakes to run down loose leader Swiftsure and hold off late rallies from Idratherbeblessed and Another Mystery, who finished second and third, respectively.
Trained by Steve Asmussen and with Jose Ortiz in the irons, Gigante covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.62 over a firm turf course, winning by a length.
“He’s such a cool horse,” Ortiz said. “He kind of bobbled a bit out of the gate but Steve always gives me confidence to ride his horses my way. I was able to get him back in the race and going into the first turn, Gigante gave me his head, relaxed nicely, and when I asked him in the stretch, he was there.”
Having won the 2023 Woodchopper and finished second in the 2024 Muniz Memorial presented by Horse Racing Nation (G2), Gigante’s campaign could include a return in the Muniz at the end of the meet, according to Asmussen.
“We’re glad to have him back at the Fair Grounds,” Asmussen said. “It’s very special to win a race named after Buddy Diliberto. Nobody loved racing more than he did and it’s a great honor to win a race named after him.”
A Virgina-bred by Not This Time, Gigante’s career record now tallies 18-7-1-2 with an impressive bankroll of $1,127,650.
Desormeaux-trained Bear River dominates Scherer Memorial
Bear River got the jump on five foes in the $100,000 Richard R. Scherer Memorial and proved best to win his second stake by 2 1/4 lengths over Minnesota Ready.
Trained by Keith Desormeaux, the 3-year-old chestnut ridgling travelled 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:03.61 over a firm turf course. With a career record of 18-5-0-2, Bear River has banked $383,848. Two of those wins came in the spring in Churchill Downs’ allowance races, which Bear River followed with victory in Ellis Park’s Dade Park.
“I thought maybe I was overdoing it with the 12 starts in 2024,” Desormeaux said. “He’s been so good to us and he’s so sound.”
Threatened in the stretch by post-time favorite Panther Island, Bear River wandered about under Axel Concepcion, warding off any serious bids.
“The most important part in the race was the break,” Concepcion said. “After that he relaxed very well.”
Beckman-trained Simply Joking takes Letellier
The 65th running of the Letellier saw first-time starter Grantley Acres, Ryan Conner and Berkels0813’s Simply Joking run down the post-time favorite Whata Moon. After breaking a beat slow, the Practical Joke filly circled the field in the turn and set down a game effort to get up by neck. The Whit Beckman trained filly stopped the clock in 1:10.33.
“We always thought this one was a tick better (than our other 2-year-old fillies racing today),” Beckman said. “That’s what she’s shown in the morning. Timing-wise, the (Silverbulletday, a Kentucky Oaks prep) could be her next spot. We’ll see how she comes out of it.”
Sent off at 5-2, Simply Joking was piloted by Jamie Torres.
“It was impressive,” Torres said. “She was a little green, being her first race but I think with a little more time, she’s going to figure out her job. We’re very excited (about her talent).”
Maker-trained Stir Crazy prevails in Blushing K.D.
It took a heady ride from Jose Ortiz and a game rail rally for Stir Crazy to win the $100,00 Blushing K.D., the first of three stakes across the Stall-Wilson Turf Course on Road to the Derby Kickoff Day. Trained by Mike Maker, Stir Crazy clocked in at 1:44.77, finishing 1/2 lengths ahead of Join the Dance, who led the Blushing K.D. at every other call.
“I noticed when the 2 horse (Callie’s Grit) stumbled, the pace was going to be a little bit slow,” Ortiz said. “So I wanted to be a little more forward heading into the backside. I found a comfortable spot behind the leader and was happy right there.”
The 6-year-old Vancouver mare has now amassed $468,354 in lifetime earnings with a 24-6-9-3 career record.
