Pound for Pound, Iona Star win Louisiana Futurity divisions
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
Pound for Pound pulled a 21-1 upset Sunday at Fair Grounds, edging the Grade 1-placed Givemeaminit by a neck in the $104,930 colts-and-geldings division of the Louisiana Futurity. It was another three lengths back to Greeley Went West in third.
The race was one of two stakes on the card. The $96,430 fillies division of the Louisiana Futurity was won by Iona Star ($14.20). Both races were run over six furlongs and were restricted to 2-year-olds bred in Louisiana.
Pound for Pound ($45.80) settled off the pace set by Divine Bean, who took the field through fractions of 21.84 seconds for the opening quarter and 45.13 for the half-mile. In the stretch, he advanced and edged 4-5 favorite Givemeaminit, a maiden on the move to the statebred ranks after a series of graded-stakes starts, among them a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Hopeful.
Pound for Pound covered the distance on a fast track in 1:11.11.
Miguel Mena rode Pound for Pound for trainer Jose Grimaldo. The horse was winning the third race of his five-race career and his first stakes. He came into the Louisiana Futurity off an entry-level allowance win at two turns at Delta Downs.
Israel Flores Horses owns Pound for Pound, a son of Redding Colliery bred by J. Adcock and B & B Bloodstock. Pound for Pound is a half-brother to Grade 2 winner Flatlined.
Iona Star made every pole a winning one in the fillies division, leading throughout for a four-length win over Feisty Embrace. It was another three-quarters of a length back to Cool Spring in third.
The undefeated Minit to Stardom was scratched.
Iona Star set fractions of 22.78 seconds for the opening quarter and 46.63 for the half-mile before going on to cover the distance on a fast track in 1:12.17. Diego Saenz was aboard for trainer Justin Jeansonne.
Iona Star is a daughter of Star Guitar and was winning her second straight race, following a maiden special weight for Louisiana-breds on Nov. 21 at Delta Downs. She was bred by her owner, Brittlyn Stable.