Kabella gets the best of Beyond Blame in Lacombe

Kabella still is better than Beyond Blame.

Kabella beat Beyond Blame by a head when the 3-year-old fillies met in a maiden turf route Jan. 9 at Fair Grounds, and she beat her by one length Saturday in the $50,000 Allen “Black Cat” Lacombe Memorial Stakes.

The betting public was slow to grasp the pecking order. Beyond Blame was the even-money favorite, and Kabella paid $8.80 to win. Moreover, she was considerably better than the raw margin of victory. Beyond Blame broke from the rail and got a perfect pocket trip, racing just behind Roussalka’s soft pace and finding room when she wanted it at the top of the homestretch.

Kabella broke from post 10 and was last of 11 behind a moderate 24.28-second opening quarter-mile, and still was 10th behind a slow half-mile in 48.75. Kabella and Shaun Bridgmohan had no choice but to lose ground moving wide around the far turn, but still the pair came relentlessly down the outside, buzzing past Beyond Blame in the final furlong for a fairly impressive victory. Kabella stopped the timer in 1:39.98 for about one mile over a firm Fair Grounds course.

Beyond Blame, beaten with no excuse, finished three-quarters of a length clear of Starving Artist, as longshot Roussalka held on for fourth.

Kabella now has 3 wins from 3 starts during the Fair Grounds meeting. Turned over to trainer Steve Margolis to winter in New Orleans following three lesser performances last year at 2, Kabella will head north to Kentucky looking like a filly that could have a say in more important stakes this spring. Kabella, a Robert and Lawana Low homebred, is by Kitten’s Joy out of the Low’s mare Zapper Belle.

Triple Chelsea doubles up

Triple Chelsea sat a great trip under Adam Beshizza and powered home a dominant winner of the co-featured $50,000 Nelson J. Menard Memorial Stakes on Saturday at Fair Grounds.

Joe Sharp trains the winner for owner Brad Grady, who claimed the 5-year-old Hat Trick mare for $62,500 last September at Kentucky Downs.

Triple Chelsea scored her second turf-sprint stakes win of the winter, having captured the $50,000 Pan Zareta over the Fair Grounds grass course in January.

There'syourtrouble, who set slow fractions of 22.35 and 46.92, held second by 1 1/2 lengths over Miss Gossip, with Triple Chelsea, who got a big jump on all the closers, stopping the timer in 1:04.55 for about 5 1/2 furlongs on firm going. Triple Chelsea paid $5.40 to win as the favorite, bouncing back from a third-place finish in the Feb. 13 Mardi Gras Stakes.