Ivana's Wish connects at 19-1 in Louisiana Champions Day Lassie
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At 19-1, Ivana’s Wish might have seemed a bit overmatched when facing seven other 2-year-old fillies in the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Lassie on Saturday at Fair Grounds in New Orleans.
But after Florent Geroux was able to get the filly to relax on an open lead, they had enough to turn back favored Our Millie to win the six-furlong race by 1 1/2 lengths.
“I was able to make the lead pretty easily, and from there, she was all there for me,” said Geroux.
Ivana’s Wish, by Custom for Carlos, returned $41.60 after finishing in 1:11.89 over a fast track. It was the second win in four career starts for van’s Wish, a chestnut filly owned by Troy Collins and trained by Allen Landry.
Some 90 minutes later, Saint’s Fan ($3) rallied from well off the pace when posting a two-length victory in the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile for 2-year-old colts and geldings.
Brian Hernandez Jr. was aboard Saint’s Fan for Dallas Stewart, who bred, owns, and trains the Tale of Ekati colt. The win came in 1:10.74 for six furlongs and was the second in as many career starts for Saint’s Fan, a Nov. 4 maiden winner at Churchill Downs in his career debut.
“I don’t think you’ve seen the best of him yet,” said Hernandez.
Laughingsaintssong settled for second after forging to the lead at the top of the stretch, with Jack Snipe’s finishing third in a field of nine.