Minit to Stardom promoted to win after DQ in Louisiana Champions Day Ladies Sprint

Favored Minit to Stardom won the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Ladies Sprint, but only after Midnight Fantasy was disqualified from first to second for interference in the final furlong.

Somewhat strange to say, the disqualification was warranted even while it seemed unlikely Minit to Stardom ever was going to pass pacesetting Midnight Fantasy, who ran a tremendous race battling on the lead with Minit to Stardom. The pair set hot splits of 21.64 seconds and 44.67 while pulling away in upper stretch from tracking Ours to Run, who won the 2018 renewal of this race in the slop but finished a well-beaten third Saturday.

Midnight Fantasy began wandering off her line after jockey Adam Beschizza went to the crop in midstretch, getting in a little bit, out a little bit, and finally coming fully out into the path of Minit to Stardom and jockey Alex Cintron. That first major drift might not have been sufficient to warrant a disqualification, but after jinking left again, Midnight Fantasy lurched one final time to the right, causing Cintron to check his mount, and while this happened only a few strides before the finish, it was enough – following a stewards inquiry and an objection from Cintron – to get Midnight Fantasy taken down.

“The second time, she really came out,” Cintron said.

Midnight Fantasy eventually crossed the finish two lengths in front of Minit to Stardom while stopping the timer in a sizzling 1:09.49 for six furlongs on a fast main track. Whether Minit to Stardom was going to catch her is uncertain as Midnight Fantasy seemed to have turned back Minit to Stardom’s main thrust at the furlong grounds, but Midnight Fantasy did cost the runner-up a fair shot at victory.

Minit to Stardom won the Grade 2 Honorable Miss at Saratoga earlier this year and paid $3.80 to her very fortunate backers. Jose Camejo trains Minit to Stardom for her breeder, Brittlyn Stable, and 4-year-old Minit to Stardom is by Star Guitar out of Wild About Marie, by Wildcat Heir. Saturday’s win ran her career mark to 13-8-4-0.

Laughingsaintssong wears down Tango in Sprint

Laughingsaintssong woke up in August with a career-best performance, easily winning the $50,000 Louisiana Sprint Cup at Louisiana Downs. Making his first start since then Saturday in the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Sprint, Laughingsaintssong stayed woke with a one-length victory over 69-1 shot Takes Two To Tango.

Takes Two To Tango set splits of 21.71 and 44.85 while hounded by Laughingsaintssong and jockey Colby Hernandez. The two speedsters pulled away from the rest of these Louisiana-bred sprinters as Laughingsaintssong wore down Takes Two To Tango in the final furlong. Double Barrel Man rallied mildly to finish third. Flashy Brew, who took heavy late betting to go off the 2-1 favorite, never got involved and checked in 11th.

Laughingsaintssong ($13.40) ran six furlongs on a fast track in 1:10.19, considerably slower than the 1:09.49 that Midnight Fantasy clocked earlier on the card winning the Ladies Sprint.

Laughingsaintssong, by Songandaprayer out of Laughing Saint, by Vindication, looked a cut below the best Louisiana-sprinters in races during 2018 and much of 2019, but for whatever reason, he hit a new level over the summer for trainer Allen Landry and owner Rodney Verret. Hernandez began riding the horse three races ago, and it’s he that gets the credit from Verret.

“I thought he’d win,” Verret said. “He’s undefeated with Colby.”