Australasia romps in Louisiana Premier Starlet

Australasia, named for land masses on the other side of the world and owned by a Frenchman, rolled to another victory Wednesday in Vinton, La.

The Brad Cox-trained filly won the $100,000 Premier Starlet at Delta Downs by 7 1/4 lengths, the win margin, if anything, under-representing her superiority over five foes. Australasia, with three easy wins from her three career starts, has dominated Louisiana-bred competition this winter and has one more statebred-restricted race, the Crescent City Oaks next month at Fair Grounds, before she might be asked to tackle open company.

Under Diego Saenz, Australasia stalked the pace on the outside before coming abreast of pacesetting Eileen Alexandra as Winning Romance bid along the rail going into the far turn of the one-mile Starlet. Once asked for run, Australasia quickly left her competition behind, drawing steadily away through the short homestretch of this bullring oval.

“She does it so easy,” said assistant trainer Ricky Giannini, who saddled the filly. “She rates for Diego and really responded when he said it was go-time.”

Australasia was timed in 1:39.45 and paid $2.60 to win.

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Australasia won a 5 1/2-furlong Fair Grounds maiden race by more than eight lengths first time out and captured the Louisiana Jewel on Jan. 12 at Delta by six lengths. By Sky Kingdom out of Ayala Strand, by Tiznow, Australasia fetched $130,000 at a 2-year-old auction in April 2020. Huber Guy, the noted French bloodstock agent, was listed as her owner for Australasia’s first two starts, but on Wednesday she ran in the colors of Jean Etienne Dubois.

Standing Perfect scores in Premier Prince

When Standing Perfect, contrary to his name, acted up a little in the gate, his connections might have wondered if Wednesday was going to be their day. In the end, things worked out perfectly as Standing Perfect scored a hard-fought, half-length victory over a game Jimmy Two Times in the $100,000 Premier Prince for Louisiana-bred 3-year-olds.

Standing Perfect got a perfect pace-pressing trip winning a stakes race last month at Delta but on Wednesday he raced from fifth position around the first turn before making a sharp move midway down the backstretch. Pacesetting G’Wildcat gave in as Jimmy Two Times took the lead and moved over to the rail, with Drewhustle moving alongside Jimmy Two Times and Standing Perfect stacked up three wide around the final turn. Drewhustle could not keep pace through the final half-furlong as Standing Perfect finally wrested command in the final strides.

“Today was a little rougher; he didn’t really want to settle,” winning rider Ashley Broussard said. “When I asked him, he went ahead.”

Wise Verdict ran late to beat out Drewhustle for third. Standing Perfect was timed in 1:41.23 for the mile and paid $6.40 to win.

Standing Perfect is by Half Ours and out of Stand By For News, by Majesticperfection, and is trained by Lee Thomas for Respect the Valleys. Thomas said Standing Perfect would be aimed at the Crescent City Derby next month at Fair Grounds.