Giada Vegas gets first stakes win in Blushing K.D.

Giada Vegas won her fourth race in a row while notching her first stakes victory when she rallied from last under Corey Lanerie to win the $74,250 Blushing K.D. Stakes on Saturday at Fair Grounds.

Trained by Mark Casse for Dixiana Farms, Giada Vegas won her maiden on the Fair Grounds grass course in March, but found her recent success over the Tapeta Footings surface at Woodbine, where she won three allowance races in a row before returning to New Orleans.

Saturday, Giada Vegas settled back last of eight in what might have seemed like a disadvantageous spot since clear leader Vagabond Princess set slow splits of 24.91 seconds for the first quarter-mile and 50.64 to the half. But Giada Vegas crept closer to the front into and around the far turn, reached contention at the top of the stretch, had the leaders in her sights at the furlong grounds, and pushed out to a one-length win.

Joyous Thunder, who was second-last early, finished solidly for second, a neck ahead of third-place Prado’s Sweet Ride, the 6-5 favorite who enjoyed an apparently perfect trip racing in closest attendance to the pace-setter.

Giada Vegas was timed in 1:46.62 for about 1 1/16 miles on firm turf with the portable rail set at 25 feet Saturday, and paid $12.80 winning for the fifth time in 15 starts. The 4-year-old filly is a daughter of Scat Daddy and the Point Given mare Barometer who fetched $335,000 at a 2014 yearling auction. She is the first stakes winner for her dam, a sister to the Grade 1 turf winner Storm Trooper. Giada Vegas’s third dam is the excellent South Ocean.

Land Battle best of three in Sugar Bowl

Afforded a clear, easy lead in a race with just two other horses, Land Battle went to the front and never looked back in the $50,000 Sugar Bowl Stakes.

Steel Shot, the 1-5 favorite, had finished second after leading in a maiden race at Keeneland and wired a six-furlong maiden race last out at Churchill, but in the Sugar Bowl he was rated back in third as Land Battle dawdled along on the lead, setting splits of 23.06 and 47.33 under Jose Valdivia Jr. Steel Shot came outside Silis to challenge Land Battle at the top of the stretch, but the leader had too much left, spurted clear with a furlong in 11.78 seconds, and won by 1 1/4 lengths. Steel Shot was second by 6 1/4 over Silis.

Land Battle ran six furlongs on a fast track in 1:11.61 and paid $7.20 to win. The 2-year-old gelding by Istan out of Ormolu, by Indian Charlie, is trained by Scott Gelner for Norman Stables. Just a $2,500 auction buy, Land Battle already has earned more than $110,000.