Grand Luwegee wires Louisiana Champions Day Classic

The 6-year-old Louisiana-bred horse Grand Luwegee has a knack for stepping up with real money on the line.

Back from a four-month layoff in December 2020, he won the Louisiana Champions Day Classic by a nose at odds of 52-1, easily the best victory of his career. And despite having won just once in eight subsequent starts, Grand Luwegee won the $150,000 Classic again Saturday at Fair Grounds, going wire to wire under Colby Hernandez.

This victory was both less surprising, as Grand Luwegee paid $8 as the third choice, and more decisive, as he was home by three lengths.

Highland Creek, surprisingly favored at 7-5, got a good trip under Adam Beschizza, stalking the pace while saving ground around both turns. Up front, Grand Luwegee had been clipping along at a strong tempo for a 1 1/8-mile dirt race at Fair Grounds, going his opening half-mile in a robust 47.80 seconds.

So, when Highland Creek was tipped outside in upper stretch to come after the leader, one might have guessed Grand Luwegee would fold, but the horse was having none of that. Under vigorous encouragement from Hernandez, Grand Luwegee turned back Highland Creek and pulled away from him through the final 100 yards for another Classic win.

Pound for Pound, the 2019 Classic winner, pressed the pace and faded to third as the 9-5 second choice.

Grand Luwegee, bred, owned, and trained by Gerard Perron, covered the nine furlongs in 1:51. Now an eight-time winner, the horse is by El Corredor out of Magical Mia, by Gold Fever.

Juvenile

Unified Report, getting a good trip under Brian Hernandez, remained unbeaten after three starts, winning the $100,000 Champions Juvenile by a half-length over Bron and Brow, who remained a maiden after getting a really tough trip.

The race might have been decided at the half-mile pole. Unified Report raced in the two path, Bron and Brown inside and right behind him, both horses stalking the pace. Bron and Brow ran up on heels and had to be checked while Unified Report continued smoothly, slicing between rivals at the five-sixteenths pole.

As Hernandez swung his mount wide and into the clear after turning for home, Bron and Brow found himself in traffic again, eventually finding room to finish on the far outside. At the eighth pole it looked like Bron and Brown, who had been third in a Del Mar maiden race in his only previous start, might still get up, but Unified Report had something left and held him clear.

Heavily favored over second choice Bron and Brow, Unified Report paid $3.40 to win and was timed in 1:10.55 for six furlongs on a fast dirt track. Charo hung around gamely on the front end to finish a solid third.

Trained by Dallas Stewart for Valene Farms, Unified Report won his debut in an open maiden race at Churchill Downs before capturing the $100,000 Louisiana Legacy, a two-turn seven-furlong race at Delta Downs. Unified Report, bred by Stephen Brown, is from sire Unified’s first crop and is out of the Closing Argument mare Closing Report.