Strawberry Baby, Believeinsomething score stakes victories

Strawberry Baby won the $50,000 Big Easy Stakes, and Believeinsomething won the $60,000 Red Camelia Stakes on Saturday at Fair Grounds, and their trainers, Brian Schweda and J R Caldwell, respectively, notched their first Fair Grounds stakes victories.

Schweda, in fact, scored his first-ever stakes win at any venue, while Caldwell never before had won a Fair Grounds race of any sort. Their horses went about their business the same way Saturday, going straight to the front and cleaving to the rail the entire trip in races rained off turf and onto dirt.

Strawberry Baby broke from post 1 under Colby Hernandez and laid down fractions of 22.15 and 46.09 while pressed to the outside by Warriorscmoutoplay and Lindisfarne. Warriorscmoutoplay, caught between horses, backed out at the 3/16 pole, but Lindisfarne poked her head in front at the stretch call before Strawberry Baby regained a narrow advantage, winning by one length. She ran 5 1/2 furlongs on a fast track in 1:05.34 and paid $34 to win. Caldwell trains the filly for Judy Miller, while Liberation Farm and Brandywine Farm bred the daughter of Warrior’s Reward, to date the most successful offspring of the Theatrical mare Kendall Hill.

Believeinsomething had an easier time in the Red Camelia, carded for 7 1/2 furlongs on turf but contested at one mile on dirt. She made a comfortable and clear lead under Mitchell Murrill, going a half-mile in 48.55 seconds, and was never seriously threatened, running out a three-length winner over Another Pinot. Safari Calamari was three lengths further back in third.

Timed in 1:39.55 on a fast track, Believeinsomething paid $8.80 to win. Schweda also owns the daughter of Etbauer, a 4-year-old filly who now has won half her 10 starts.