Fair Grounds: Louisiana-bred Vicar's in Trouble pulls away in Lecomte
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
NEW ORLEANS – Score one for the home state.
Getting a smooth, stalking trip under Rosie Napravnik, Louisiana-bred Vicar's in Trouble ran away with the $200,000, Grade 3 Lecomte on Saturday at the Fair Grounds.
Trained by Mike Maker for owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey, Vicar's in Trouble became the first Louisiana-bred to win the Lecomte since One Tough Cat in 1987.
Napravnik won three of the five stakes run Saturday at Fair Grounds. Robby Albarado won the other two.
Vicar's in Trouble settled behind pacesetter Roman Unbridled for much of the race. Roman Unbridled ran the first quarter-mile in 23.71 seconds, the half in 47.80, and six furlongs in 1:13.11. As they approached the quarter pole, Vicar's in Trouble took charge. He pulled away to win by 6 3/4 lengths, completing the mile and 70 yards in 1:42.57 and paying $5.40.
Albano finished second, a half-length in front of third-place Gold Hawk in a field of nine 3-year-olds.
[ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY: Prep races, point standings, replays]
A son of Into Mischief and the Vicar mare Vibrant, Vicar's in Trouble was making his third start and stakes debut. Coming off a 13-length romp in a six-furlong race for Louisiana-bred maidens Dec. 14, he was racing around two turns for the first time.
"You don't know until you really do it,'' Napravnik said. "He seemed to handle the distance with no problem.''
Joe Sharp, Maker's assistant at Fair Grounds, said: "It's something you have to try at this point in the year with a 3-year-old. He never gave us any reason that he wouldn't go the distance.
"He's naturally quick, but he's very pliable and has a good brain. It seems like he can handle whatever you ask of him.''
Sharp was noncommittal about what's next for Vicar's in Trouble. "Brick by brick,'' he said. "Hopefully, we will be there next time.''
As a Kentucky Derby qualifying race, Vicar's in Trouble earned 10 points. Albano receives 4 points, Gold Hawk 2, and Roman Unbridled 1.
Kerwin Clark, who rode Albano, said he ran well in his first race around two turns. "He was kind of lost a little bit along the way,'' Clark said.
The Risen Star, the final stakes prep for the Louisiana Derby, will be run Feb. 22.