Oeuvre guts out a win; Hoosier Philly cruises

The Illinois-bred win machine named Oeuvre wore down pacesetting Speedy Traveler on Thursday at Fair Grounds and won the $100,000 Nelson Menard Memorial Stakes for the second time this year.

The Menard during the 2023-24 Fair Grounds meet was run this past January. Oeuvre won that race after capturing her first Menard in February 2023. That renewal came, as scheduled, on turf. A sodden course forced the race in January and again Thursday onto the main track.

Turf, dirt, mainly sprints but in a couple routes, from Illinois to Kentucky to Louisiana, Oeuvre has run her heart out for her owner and breeder, Richard Perkins, and Chris Block, who took over the 5-year-old mare’s training in 2022. Since that barn switch, Oeuvre’s record stands at 28 starts, 17 victories.

It took a vigorous David Cohen ride to get Ouevre up Thursday over Speedy Traveler, whose connections likely preferred a main-track run to a turf test for a filly who never has raced on grass. Speedy Traveler went clear under Jaime Torres, going 22.19 and 45.10, but two lengths clear at the stretch call Speedy Traveler’s strides shortened. Fifth into the turn, Oeuvre gained position around the bend while racing outside and sustained her bid into the homestretch and to the wire, winning by a head over a determined Speedy Traveler.

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Oeuvre ran 5 1/2 furlongs over a fast track in 1:04.26 and paid $4.40 as the favorite in a field reduced to six owing to the surface switch. Accomplished Girl finished third, 2 3/4 lengths behind the top two.

Oeuvre, by Shackleford out of Love This Kitten, by Kitten’s Joy, earned $60,000, leaving her a little more than $6,000 shy of $1 million in career earnings. It only feels like she’s won a million races over the last three years.

Joseph “Spanky” Broussard Memorial

Hoosier Philly, bet, despite bad losses in her last two starts, like she couldn’t lose the Joseph “Spanky” Broussard Memorial on Thursday at Fair Grounds did not.

Edgar Morales guided Hoosier Philly to the lead from post 1 and Hoosier Philly made light work of five foes, coasting to a 4 3/4-length score over 17-10 second choice Nom de Plume in the $100,000 Broussard, a mile 70-yard dirt race for older fillies and mares. She clocked 1:43.20 over a fast track and paid $3.80.

Four-year-old Hoosier Philly looked like a budding star as a 2-year-old of 2022 but failed to significantly progress at age 3 and came into the Broussard with two wins from 12 starts over the last two calendar years. Yet she still overwhelmed the competition Thursday.

Morales sat chilly through a half-mile in 48.35 and barely moved around the far turn and into the homestretch as jockeys on chasing rivals urged their chasing mounts, futilely, to gain on the leader. Not asked through the final furlong, Hoosier Philly still increased her advantage, an easy, and expected winner.

Tom Amoss trains Hoosier Philly for Gold Standard Racing Stable. Hoosier Philly, by Into Mischief out of Tapella, by Tapit, has not developed into a top-level performer, but the winner’s share of the Broussard purse pushed her earnings past $900,000.

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