Givemeaminit looks like formidable sprinter in win

It was only a Louisiana-bred second-level allowance race, but the manner of Givemeaminit’s victory on Saturday at Fair Grounds makes trainer Dallas Stewart wonder if he’s found Givemeaminit’s hole card.

A 4-year-old Star Guitar colt owned by Murray Valene, Givemeaminit’s 3-year-old campaign focused in great part on two-turn races, a sensible tactic given the massive amounts of stakes money available in that division. But Givemeaminit’s best open-stakes run remains his second-place finish in the Grade 1 Hopeful two summers ago, and Stewart has cut Givemeaminit back to sprints to good effect in recent starts.

In December, he won the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Sprint, and this past weekend, Stewart and Valene took advantage of an available allowance condition. Givemeaminit was supposed to win that race, but rather than make a late run to victory, the style he’s employed in most of his sprints, Givemeaminit dragged jockey Corey Lanerie to the front around the turn and had the race in hand at the quarter pole.

“He’s run hard all over the place,” Stewart said. “We’re going to keep him short for now. Maybe I’m dreaming a little but, but hopefully he’ll continue to develop, and I’ve got some high hopes for him.”

How high? Givemeaminit will stay at Fair Grounds and race perhaps once more there this winter, and if things go the right way, Stewart and Valene will think about the Grade 1 Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby Day.

• Featured on Thursday’s 10-race card is race 8, a fourth-level allowance for older Louisiana-bred sprinters.

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