Louisiana Downs: Link carries on family tradition in Honeymoon

Local became the fourth stakes winner produced from her dam, Icy Reality, when she forged past Skipping Town nearing the wire for a neck win in the $50,000 Honeymoon on Saturday at Louisiana Downs. It was another 2 1/2 lengths back in third to Hissee.

The Honeymoon was one of two stakes on the card. Idefromthebayou ($37) wired the field to upset the $50,000 John Franks Memorial. Both races were run at a mile on turf and both were restricted to horses bred in Louisiana.

Local ($8.60) settled in fourth early in the Honeymoon, as Saint Belinda moved to the lead quickly and set fractions of 23.61 seconds for the opening quarter and 48.29 for the half-mile. Skipping Town joined the leader soon afterward, took over into the stretch, but could not hold off a determined Local.

Local covered the distance on firm turf in 1:36.29. Jansen Melancon was aboard for Heiligbrodt Racing Stable and trainer Jim Hudson. Local is a 4-year-old filly by Offlee Wild. Her other stakes-winning half-siblings are Willist, an earner of $425,918; War’s Prospect, an earner of $335,568; and Bullet Breeze, an earner of $182,647.

Idefromthebayou took the initiative from the start of the Franks Memorial, coasting through fractions of 23.88 for the opening quarter, 50.06 for the half-mile and 1:14.02. He went on to win by 1 3/4 lengths over Lee’s Spirit. It was another neck back in third to Up and Out of Sight.

Rex Stokes, III rode the winner for owner Allen C. Peltier and trainer Ricky Courville. It was the first stakes win for Idefromthebayou, a 4-year-old gelding by Ide.