Not On Herb edges Geaux Sugar in Gary Palmisano Memorial

Odds-on favorites went down to defeat in two Louisiana-bred dirt sprint stakes Saturday at Fair Grounds.

Not On Herb captured the $100,000 Gary Palmisano Memorial, in which 4-5 shot Geaux Sugar ran strongly in defeat, battling to the wire before succumbing by a head.

The Palmisano chalk came closer to validating short odds than had 4-5 favorite Manama Gold, second by 2 1/4 lengths to pacesetting Classy Judy G in the $100,000 Bob Wright Memorial earlier on the card.

Classy Judy G, making just her fourth start, went 22.19 and 46.11 over a dirt track rated “good” and had little trouble seeing off Manama Gold, who began her career in the United Arab Emirates, moved to the barn of trainer Todd Pletcher, and now trains with Cherie DeVaux at Fair Grounds to capitalize on her Louisiana-bred status. Or so the thought went. Manama Gold improved upon her Louisiana-bred stakes debut in November, when she finished an even fourth at 1-2 in the Donovan Ferguson Stakes, but she did not improve enough.

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Trained for breeder Fountain Grass Thoroughbreds by Patricia West, Classy Judy G debuted this past September on the wrong surface. Uncompetitive on grass first time out, Classy Judy G won her maiden second out on dirt in a two-turn Delta Downs sprint and easily negotiated the step up to first-level Louisiana allowance competition on Nov. 30 at Fair Grounds. The Wright required another forward move and Classy Judy G delivered.

Under Marcelino Pedroza, she clocked 1:11.58 for six furlongs and paid $10 as the third choice, Freeburn checking in two lengths behind Manama Gold in third. Classy Judy G is by Outwork and out of She Rolls, by 2009 Louisiana Derby winner Friesan Fire.

Not On Herb has far more experience than Classy Judy G, much of it successful, with eight wins now from 18 starts. Trained by David Terre for the Crusaders Stable, which acquired the 5-year-old gelding via a $20,000 claim this past May, Not On Herb won three in a row over the summer, twice in stakes competition, before losing his edge for several starts. Beaten twice this meet by Geaux Sugar (a great $10,000 claim last year in his own right) Not On Herb ran better in December than he had in January and in the Palmisano came back to his best.

Geaux Sugar broke sharply and went clear through manageable fractions of 22.27 and 45.79, but Not On Herb, stalking from second outside the leader, made a move at the pacesetter past the quarter pole, nearly drawing even. Geaux Sugar immediately responded, the two separating from the rest of the field, Not On Herb just doing slightly better work for the win, with Tdzshininluckystar a distant third.

By First Samurai out of Toast to Ashley, by First Defence, Not On Herb clocked 1:10.91 for six furlongs over a surface that had been upgraded to fast. He paid $10.60, far removed from being an odds-on favorite, yet slightly better than one Saturday.

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