Mansa Musa gets head down at wire to take Colonel Power
Fair Grounds stakes recap (Hodges Photography/Lou Hodges Jr. photo of Mansa Musa winning the Colonel Power)
New Orleans, La (Feb. 15, 2025) – Team Valor International and Gary Barber’s Mansa Musa (IRE) won his 4-year-old debut in dramatic fashion, getting his head down at the wire to defeat Kavod in Saturday’s 37th running of the $98,000 Colonel Power Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.
Ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, Mansa Musa completed 5 ½ furlongs in 1:03.69 over a firm turf course. Mansa Musa spent most of the fall at Mott’s Kentucky division overseen by assistant trainer Kenny McCarthy. That included finishing third in Kentucky Downs’ Grade 1 Franklin-Simpson Stakes. Mansa Musa also was second by a neck in Keeneland’s $250,000 Palisades in April, his first U.S. start, before taking fourth in Churchill Downs’ William Walker.
Ortiz settled Mansa Musa in third early, just behind Kavod, who was pressed to his outside by 8-5 favorite No Nay Hudson. After an opening quarter-mile in :22.46 and a half-mile in :46.07, Kavod turned for home with the lead, while Ortiz tipped Mansa Musa three-wide to challenge the front-runners.
Inside the sixteenth pole, Mansa Musa briefly took the lead but Kavod battled back along the inside. At the wire, Mansa Musa prevailed by a head as the 9-5 second choice.
Demolition Duke closed late to finish third, followed by No Nay Hudson, Gilded Ruler, Dhabab, and Swift as I Am.
“I had a perfect trip,” Ortiz said. “The horse made me look good. I was able to sit just behind the speed and bide my time until the stretch. Even though I had the perfect trip, I have to give a lot of credit to the horse. He fought back down the lane and really tried hard.”
Mansa Musa returned $5.80, $3.40, and $2.60. The Joe Sharp-trained Duncan F. Kenner winner Kavod, under Luis Saez, paid $6.20 and $4.40, while Demolition Duke, ridden by Jose Ortiz for trainer Brendan Walsh, returned $3.40 to show.
The Colonel Power was Mansa Musa’s third career victory from 12 starts, boosting his earnings to $371,475.
A 4-year-old son of Ten Sovereigns (IRE) out of the Showcasing (GB) mare Sundiata, Mansa Musa was bred in Ireland by Middlelane Farm.
