A Mo Reay takes Pago Hop as Cox has big day
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
It’s likely trainer Brad Cox didn’t win the $100,000 Woodchopper Stakes on Saturday at Fair Grounds only because he didn’t have a runner in the race. With the co-features Saturday rained from turf onto dirt, Cox scratched all three of his Woodchopper entrants, but he left A Mo Reay in the $100,000 Pago Hop, which she won by three lengths over pacesetting Free Like a Girl.
Cox won three stakes races Saturday and A Mo Reay’s tally under Florent Geroux ran his Fair Grounds record since Dec. 17 to an astounding 14-8-3-1.
In Cox’s absence, the Woodchopper scratched down to a four-horse field with Britain’s Kitten up by a head over Sutherland, Deshawn Parker booting home the winner. While Cox is winning everything at Fair Grounds, Britain’s Kitten gave trainer Brian Williamson his first-ever winner at the New Orleans track.
A Mo Reay ($4.40), making her first start for Cox after being sold for $400,000 in November, raced fourth in the early and middle stages as Elle of the Ball led Free Like a Girl through a strong half-mile in 46.99 seconds. Free Like a Girl put away Elle of the Ball before the three-furlong marker, but A Mo Reay had come to life at the half-mile pole, collared Free Like a Girl in midstretch, and drew clear through the final furlong.
A Mo Reay clocked 1:42.97 over a good, sealed main track that produced slow times throughout the afternoon. Free Like a Girl held on to second by a neck over Trobairitz. A Mo Reay, now 3-1-3 from 10 starts, is a 3-year-old filly by Uncle Mo out of Margaret Reay, by Pioneerof the Nile, who races for Hunter Valley Farm.
Meanwhile, Williamson has a string at Fair Grounds for the first time, notching a stakes score in his first local win – but only just. Britain’s Kitten, the even-money favorite, required the length of the stretch to wear down Sutherland, who had more than 13 lengths on third-place Life Is a Banquet. Britain’s Kitten ($4) is by Big Blue Kitten out of Dram Girl, by English Channel, and while the pedigree leans toward turf, Britain’s Kitten’s three wins have come on dirt.
*** Odds-on favorites won both divisions of the Louisiana Futurity on Saturday’s card. In race 2, the filly’s division, Norah G ($2.60) had to work to post a three-quarters-length win over first-time starter Everlyn's Angel racing over an extremely slow surface. Norah G, trained by Patricia West for the filly’s breeder, Tom Galvin, needed 1:14.93 to cover six furlongs.
The surface had quickened some 3 1/2 hours later when Jack Hammer ($3.40) won the colts and geldings division over Z Resurrection. The two horses dueled on the lead with Jack Hammer under Reylu Gutierrez getting the best of Z Resurrection in midstretch, pushing out to a two-length win while going six furlongs in 1:12.14. Bret Calhoun trains Jack Hammer for his breeder, Chester Thomas, whose nom de course is Allied Racing Stable.
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