Classy John makes Champions Day Juvenile first stakes win
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Classy John keeps living up to his name. At Fair Grounds' Louisiana Champions Day on Saturday, the 2-year-old colt – who broke his maiden at Saratoga in open company and later was second in an allowance at Churchill – recorded his first stakes victory by taking the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile.
With Brian Hernandez Jr. coming to New Orleans from his current base in South Florida to ride, Classy John asserted his superiority against Louisiana-breds from the start. He made the lead with splits of 22.08 seconds and 46.11, and left the opposition behind in the stretch to win by 4 1/4 lengths. Under confident handling from Hernandez, he raced six furlongs on a sloppy track in 1:11.55.
Dallas Stewart trains Classy John ($2.20), a son of Songandaprayer owned by Valene Farms.
Jimi''s a Star closed to be second in the field of eight, while Calimambo ran third.
Champions Day Lassie
An hour before the Juvenile went to post, Midnight Fantasy scored her second clear-cut victory from as many starts in winning the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Lassie by 3 1/4 lengths.
As in her debut score at Fair Grounds on Nov. 15, a race she won by 9 1/2 lengths, Midnight Fantasy sped to the front, though she had to work to do so. Tiz the Faith pushed her down the backstretch with a 22.77-second opening quarter, before she inched away on the turn with a half-mile in 47.09.
Once in the stretch she asserted her superiority under Adam Beschizza, dispatching of Tiz the Faith and never being threatened late by a rallying Silvercents, who grabbed second. Tiz the Faith tired to third.
A 2-year-old daughter of Midnight Lute, Midnight Fantasy ($2.40) is trained by Joe Sharp and owned by Carl R. Moore Management LLC. She completed six furlongs in the slop in 1:12.50.
Three stakes for Louisiana-bred Quarter Horses began the Saturday Champions Day program with Jls Dash N Fire ($15.20) taking the Louisiana Championships Day Derby, Eysa Jess Jumpn ($11.40) the Juvenile, and Zoomin for Grace the Classic ($8.60).
