Delta Downs: Heavy On Themister hits jackpot in $200,000 Championship

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Rosie Napravnik rode two stakes winners on Saturday night's card, including the featured $200,000 Louisiana Premier Night Championship aboard Heavy On Themister.

Heavy On Themister and his 32-year-old trainer, Shawn David, won the richest race of their careers Saturday night at Delta Downs, when Heavy On Themister pulled away to a 5 1/2-length win in the $200,000 Louisiana Premier Night Championship.

The race was one of six stakes for Louisiana-breds on a program worth $1 million. There were also four rich starter races.

Heavy On Themister ($8.20) came into Premier Night off a win in the $150,000 Louisiana Champions Day Classic at Fair Grounds on Dec. 8. He tracked the pace in second at Delta, as Lovely Vin set fractions of 23.33 seconds for the opening quarter, 47.96 for the half-mile, and 1:13.21 for six furlongs. Heavy On Themister moved to the lead into the stretch and went on to cover 1 1/16 miles on a track rated fast in 1:44.37.

Rosie Napravnik was aboard Heavy On Themister, who races for Rebecca Farms and T.J. Dickey.

Lovely Vin held second by a neck over third-place finisher Populist Politics.

Heavy On Themister, a son of Lion Tamer, has now won 6 of 15 starts and $402,050.

David is the son of longtime trainer Sam David Jr. Shawn David won the first race of his career on April 25, 2008, at Evangeline Downs.

Napravnik had another stakes win on the card, in the $125,000 Prince for 3-year-olds aboard Hero Force. He was stretching out to two turns off a win in the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile at Fair Grounds. Hero Force ($7.40) won by three-quarters of a length for trainer Bret Calhoun.

Calhoun also won the $100,000 Sprint with Su Casa G Casa, the horse’s second straight stakes win behind the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Sprint at Fair Grounds. Miguel Mena rode the winner, who won by three-quarters of a length and paid $5.80.

In the $125,000 Starlet for 3-year-old fillies, Guadalupe High ($9.40) was a 6 ¼-length winner over 3-5 favorite Sittin At the Bar. Gerard Melancon rode the winner for trainer Ronny Werner.

Little Ms Protocol ($3.60) was a half-length winner of the $150,000 Distaff for fillies and mares, over Esther Carl. Shaun Bridgmohan was aboard the winner for trainer Patrick Devereux Jr.

Wire Me Bessie ($7.40) won her fourth race in her last five starts in the $100,000 Matron, when she wired the field by five lengths. Kerwin Clark rode for Richard Louis Smith.