Oliviaofthedesert gets up by a head in Blushing K.D. Stakes
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Turf racing at the 2022-23 Fair Grounds meet got off to a late start, but the Fair Grounds turf played just like it did during the 2021-22 meet Monday in the $100,000 Blushing K.D. Stakes. Like clockwork last season, when the turf rail was moved to its outermost position, late and wide closers held a decided edge, and that was the style that propelled Oliviaofthedesert to a head win over Wave of Goodness in the Blushing K.D., the meet’s first grass race.
Corey Lanerie rode the winner, who was making her first start since being transferred from trainer Kenny McPeek to Wayne Catalano. Oliviaofthedesert, a 4-year-old filly by Malibu Moon out of the Unbridled’s Song mare Queenie’s Song, already was a stakes winner on dirt, but her eighth start on grass yielded her first turf win of any sort.
The inner portion of the Fair Grounds grass course was badly damaged this past fall when a saltwater-contaminated well was used to irrigate the course. That part of the turf is improving but still unsuitable for use, and Monday’s two grass races were conducted the with temporary rail set at 34 feet, farther out than the maximum position in recent years.
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Mo Clare’s led Carpe Vinum through a half-mile split in 50.73 seconds, a relatively meaningless fraction with the rail this far out, and the front-runners wound up the last two horses across the wire. Oliviaofthedesert lacked quick-twitch acceleration and needed the length of the stretch to finally get up, but eventually wore down Wave of Goodness, who’d taken the lead before the quarter pole.
Oliviaofthedesert paid $12 and clocked 1:50 for 1 1/16 miles over firm going. Lake Lucerne, the 2-1 favorite, finished third. A Mo Reay and Quinn Ella were scratched.
Joseph E. “Spanky” Broussard Memorial
It took a couple years, but Moon Swag avenged a defeat to Charlie’s Penny on Monday in the $100,000 Joseph E. “Spanky” Broussard Memorial Stakes.
In December 2020 at Fair Grounds, Charlie’s Penny had been third in the Letellier Memorial, with Moon Swag fourth. A month later, Charlie’s Penny won the Silverbulletday Stakes, and Moon Swag finished a well-beaten third. Both fillies missed more than a year of racing, and when they squared off for a third time in the Broussard, it was Moon Swag by 2 1/2 lengths.
Charlie’s Penny, the odds-on favorite, got a good enough trip tracking a loose leader from second but, coming out of sprints, appeared not to quite see out the Broussard’s one-mile and 70-yard trip. Charlie’s Penny ran out of gas past the eighth pole as Moon Swag, who had one horse beaten at the three-furlong marker, surged to victory under Corey Lanerie. Powder River nipped Charlie’s Penny for second.
Moon Swag was timed in 1:43.21.
Moon Swag ($6) won her second stake race, the first having come in September 2020 at The Downs at Albuquerque. The daughter of Malibu Moon and Yara, by Put It Back, is trained for Farfellow Farms by Brendan Walsh.
Richard Scherer Memorial
Look at that – Surveillance won again at Fair Grounds.
The 5-year-old gelding got a great trip under James Graham and proved much the best in the $100,000 Richard Scherer Memorial Stakes, his fifth win from five sprint starts at Fair Grounds. At other racetracks, Surveillance is winless in 14 outings.
Surveillance made his first six starts while still in possession of his testicles, and even after being gelded, he needed a few races to find himself and his niche – dirt sprinting. Surveillance won three in a row - his first three victories - earlier this year at Fair Grounds, but lost seven straight in Kentucky, although he raced competitively. Back in his favorite city, New Orleans, Surveillance was back on track last month winning the Thanksgiving Classic, and it was more of the same Monday.
Somehow, all this was lost on much of the betting public: Surveillance paid a generous $17.80 to win. Settling fifth down the backstretch, Surveillance looked like a winner at the three-furlong pole as High Cruise led Bango through a half-mile in 45.37 seconds. Surveillance and Graham bided their time, surged at the three-sixteenths pole, and went on to a convincing victory despite lugging in a bit past the furlong grounds. Surveillance ran six furlongs in 1:09.61 as Bango finished a clear second over Heart Rhythm.
Surveillance is trained by Keith Desormeaux, who owns him with Big Chief Racing and Rocker O Ranch. Surveillance is by Constitution out of Majorelle, by Mizzen Mast. If he ran all the time at Fair Grounds, he might never lose.
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