Free Like a Girl has no trouble with Ladies Distaff
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The long and short of it is Free Like a Girl is an excellent Louisiana-bred filly. Second a year ago in the Louisiana Champions Day Ladies Sprint at six furlongs, Free Like a Girl was much the best Saturday at Fair Grounds going 1 1/16 miles in the $100,000 Ladies Distaff.
Making a clear lead under Vicente Del-Cid, Free Like a Girl never had an anxious moment, coasting to a 4 1/4-length score over A G’s Charlotte, with Sabra Tuff another 2 1/2 lengths back in third. Free Like a Girl was timed in 1:44.69 and paid $5.20 as the favorite.
Owned by Gerald Bruno, trainer Chasey Pomier, and Jerry Caroom, Free Like a Girl is a 4-year-old daughter of El Deal and Flashy Prize, by Flashy Bull. After her second-place finish last year and a second in the 2021 Lassie, Free Like a Girl, who was cross-entered in the Ladies Sprint, earned a well-deserved Champions Day win.
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Free Like a Girl has hardiness to match her versatility. She surpassed $1 million in earnings winning the Doris Hebert Memorial last month at Fair Grounds, and her career mark stands at 32-15-8-4 after Saturday’s victory.
Three-peat for Ova Charged
By the narrowest of margins, Ova Charged won the $100,000 Ladies Sprint for the third year in a row.
Making her first start since April and first for trainer Shane Wilson, Ova Charged gave Wilson, jockey Jose Guerreo, and owner-breeder Brittlyn Stable a second Champions Day winner following Behemah Star’s upset in the Turf – but just barely.
Ova Charged tracked the early pace from third before attacking on the turn and taking the lead. She had a 1 1/2-length advantage with an eighth of a mile to run, but the long layoff began telling in the last 100 yards. Basalt Street closed steadily in the final strides, Ova Charged gamely winning a head bob for a nose victory.
The top two were much the best, Spirited Beauty more than three lengths behind in third. Ova Charged, the favorite, paid $5 and ran six furlongs in 1:10.67. The 5-year-old mare, by Star Guitar out of Charged Cotton, by Dehere, ran her record to a flashy 12-9-1-0. Grade 3-placed, Ova Charged was not at her very best Saturday, but she was just good enough.
Eva up late in Lassie
Accommodate Eva rallied from last of 11 to capture the $100,000 Lassie by three-quarters of a length.
Well beaten when overmatched in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, Accommodate Eva came back two weeks later and closed mildly to finish fifth in a Louisiana-bred sprint stakes, but she jumped back to her best Saturday.
Jockey Brian Hernandez stoked up Accommodate Eva at the quarter pole and the filly sailed home on the far outside to beat Clearly a Test by three quarters of a length. Guitar Solo, the pacesetter, was another 1 1/2 lengths back in third. Even-money favorite Undercover Girl was moving strongly at the three-sixteenths pole but was stopped badly trying to split rivals, never recovered, and checked in fourth.
Dallas Stewart trains Accommodate Eva for Murray Valene’s Valene Farms. The 2-year-old filly is by Munnings out of Accommodate, by Pleasantly Perfect. She paid $10.60 and ran six furlongs in 1:11.98.
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