Shang romps in Crescent City Derby

Shang is turning into the best 3-year-old Louisiana-bred of his class. His fourth straight win also marked the best performance of his career as Shang dominated the $75,000 Crescent City Derby on Saturday at Fair Grounds.

Kept outside and in the clear tracking a slow pace, Shang burst to the front at the quarter pole under Jose Ortiz and proceeded to crush his competition, drawing off to win by 8 3/4 lengths. Off splits of 24.42 seconds, 49.26, and 1:14.45, Shang got a mile in 1:38.77 and stopped the timer in 1:44.62 for 1 1/16 miles on a fast track.

Trainer Steve Asmussen swept the exacta with Jus Lively finishing a distant second, 1 3/4 lengths better than third-place Silver King. Shang’s superiority was no secret and he paid just $2.40 to win.

Shang stumbled slightly breaking from post 2 and raced two paths off the fence around the clubhouse turn before Ortiz wisely angled to the outside for the backstretch run. There, Shang sat poised until Ortiz gave the colt his cue, and over the course of 100 yards in upper stretch, Shang quickly put this race to bed.

Owned by Corinne and William Heiligbrodt, Shang, a son of Shanghai Bobby and Humble Janet, finished second by a neck making his career debut this past November at Fair Grounds, subsequently notching easy wins in a maiden race and first-level allowance before shipping to Delta Downs to post a narrow score in the $100,000 Premier Prince on Feb. 9. Shang might have tolerated the deep surface at the Delta bull-ring more than he loved it, for he turned in a considerably stronger race Saturday in New Orleans.

Fugitive Lady game in Crescent City Oaks score

When Fugitive Lady went from an 18 1/4-length Dec. 1 maiden win to finish fourth by nine lengths and sixth by 18 in her first two starts as a 3-year-old, that Fair Grounds romp looked a lot like a fluke.

It wasn’t.

Fugitive Lady rebounded March 5 to win an open first-level allowance race and, back in with fellow Louisiana-bred 3-year-old fillies Saturday at Fair Grounds, she gamely captured the $75,000 Crescent City Oaks by 1 1/2 lengths.

Fugitive Lady, under Jack Gilligan, broke near the back of the field in this two-turn dirt route but was tapped for speed and made the front over 1-2 favorite Midnight Fantasy into the first turn, going an opening quarter-mile in 23.70 seconds and a half-mile in 48.27. Midnight Fantasy was a fast sprint winner of two races starting her career late last fall, but she allowed her speed to be rationed while tracking the pacesetter to the five-sixteenths pole. There, Midnight Fantasy attacked, taking the lead at the quarter pole, but not even a half-furlong later her stamina ran out.

As Midnight Fantasy drifted out, lactic-acid buildup setting in, Fugitive Lady kept chugging along, holding her line as all her opponents struggled to stay the trip and actually drawing away through the final eighth-mile. She stopped the timer in 1:44.33 for one mile and 70 yards on a fast track and paid $28.40 to win.

Cicada’s Song clunked along from a stalking position to finish second, three-quarters of a length in front of Crescentcitypretty, who lost her position early on the first turn when she had to check off the heels of Goodprofit near the back of the field. Midnight Fantasy just held fourth over second-choice Goodprofit, who also turned in a subpar performance.

Fugitive Lady is by Guilt Trip out of Spoiled Dove, by Thunder Gulch. Joe McKellar co-bred her, owns her and, for good measure, also trains the filly.

Win Lion Win overcomes trouble, takes Costa Rising

Win Lion Win had to be checked sharply bending into the turn of the $60,000 Costa Rising Stakes, but about 40 seconds later he checked in a winner, holding off favored Monte Man by a neck in this turf sprint for older Louisiana-breds.

Win Lion Win and jockey Kevin Smith raced along the rail in third when Roger Brown, the outside pace, leaned into In the Navy, the inside pace, causing Smith to take up sharply. That was only the front end of the trouble, as Wonder Run, racing behind Win Lion Win, checked and bore out carrying Wild About Star, Afleet Ascent, and Divine Bean out into the middle of the turf course.

But Win Lion Win quickly regained his rhythm, knifed between horses to take the lead in upper stretch and finished energetically enough to hold at bay Monte Man, who got a cleaner trip than the winner and just wasn’t quite good enough. Treys Midnite Moon avoided the scrum on the turn and came up the fence from last to earn the show.

Win Lion Win was timed in 1:03.68 for about 5 1/2 furlongs on firm turf and paid $15.20 to win. Allison Ramsay-Banks trains the winner and, under the banner of Farm d’Allie Racing Stable, also owns him. Eight-year-old Win Lion Win is by Lion Tamer and out of the Twining mare, Twinwinwin.