Le Da Vida gets revenge in Lady Jacqueline
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Le Da Vida turned the tables on Interstatedaydream, this time, holding the favorite at bay for a 3 1/4-length victory in the $250,000 Lady Jacqueline Stakes on Saturday at Thistledown.
This was the first victory this season for La Da Vida ($7.20), who had jockey Vincent Cheminaud in the irons for Ignacio Correas. In her most recent outing prior to Saturday, the mare was third, beaten a length by victorious Interstatedaydream, in the Allaire DuPont Distaff Stakes in May at Pimlico.
This time, the mare made a powerful move that carried her from fifth to first on the turn, and was able to hold sway through the lane for a lucrative victory. She finished the nine furlongs in 1:50.02.
Le Da Vida, who is Group 1-placed in her native Chile, improved to 8-for-21 lifetime with the win. The mare came to the U.S. last year, and won two allowance-optional claiming races in Kentucky. This was her first win in five starts in 2023, although she was Grade 3-placed at Oaklawn Park and stakes-placed at Pimlico coming in.
The Lady Jacqueline, for open fillies and mares, was the richest of three stakes events on the Ohio Derby undercard at Thistledown, with a pair of Ohio-bred stakes also featured on one of the state's biggest days of racing.
Romantic Cowboy ($10.80), who is both co-owned and trained by James McDonald, got a perfect trip under Luis Batista and drew off to win the $75,000 George Lewis Memorial by 3 1/2 lengths. The gelding was never far off the pace while stalking in second, took over around the turn, and drew clear through the lane.
The final time for the 1 1/16 miles was 1:46.64.
Dr. Zarnett was second, and favored Big Truck was third.
Fair and Square ($8), the champion Ohio-bred 2-year-old of 2022, notched his third career stakes win in taking the $75,000 Daniel Stearns Cleveland Gold Cup. The gelding led throughout under Jeffrey Sanchez, drawing clear by 4 1/4 lengths and finishing the 1 1/8 miles in 1:52.86.
Trojan Tale was second by a head over Returnoninvestment.
Fair and Square races as a homebred for the prominent partnership of trainer Tim Hamm and Kentucky-based WinStar Farm.
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