Sunny Ridge, Cougar Ridge earn a rest

VINTON, La. – Sunny Ridge, who finished a fast-closing second in the Grade 3, $1 million Delta Downs Jackpot last Saturday, closed out his 2-year-old season in the race, trainer Jason Servis said Wednesday.

Sunny Ridge, who was beaten a neck by Exaggerator in the Jackpot, won the Sapling Stakes in September at Monmouth and was the runner-up in the Grade 1 Champagne in October at Belmont. Servis said Sunny Ridge came out of the race in excellent condition, with plans for the horse, who races for breeder Dennis Drazin, to be determined. Sunny Ridge is being freshened in Kentucky.

“Right now, he’s in Lexington at a farm,” Servis said Wednesday. “We’re giving him a short R-and-R, and we’ll make decisions from there.”

Servis, 58, is the older brother of John Servis, who trained Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Smarty Jones. Jason Servis has divisions of his stable in New York and south Florida.

Meanwhile, the good times keep rolling for Cougar Ridge, who won his fourth consecutive race last Saturday in the $250,000 Delta Mile at Delta Downs. The horse is now settled in at Oaklawn Park, according to trainer Randy Morse.

“We’ve put him away for the year, and we’ll probably point him toward the Essex,” Morse said Wednesday. “He’s doing really well right now, and hopefully we’ll have a good year with him next year.”

The $100,000 Essex Handicap is Feb. 13 at Oaklawn.

Cougar Ridge began his streak on turf, taking the $75,000 DeBartolo Memorial in August and the $100,000 Remington Green in September, both at Remington Park. He then won an off-the-turf allowance at Keeneland before putting up a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 96 in the Delta Mile.

“He’s the kind of horse you can spot him around, especially where he’ll run on the turf or dirt,” said Morse.

Cougar Ridge is a 5-year-old by Johannesburg who races for Richard Bahde.

Street Strategy changes hands

Randy Patterson has purchased Street Strategy from the estate of Dave Clark, according to trainer Morse. Clark, who had a residence in Little Rock, Ark., died in October.

Street Strategy won back-to-back allowances at Churchill Downs and Keeneland this year before finishing seventh to Liam’s Map in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile in his most recent outing Oct. 30. Morse said Street Strategy is being pointed for the $100,000 Fifth Season on Jan. 16 at Oaklawn.

Melancon finalist for Woolf Award

Delta Downs regular Gerard Melancon was recently named a finalist for Santa Anita’s George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award, the latest piece of good news for the 48-year-old native of Rayne, La.

Melancon is set to become a grandfather next month as his son, Jansen Melancon, is awaiting the birth of his first child. Jansen is also a jockey and rides at Delta. Gerard Melancon’s younger son, Jonas, is scheduled to graduate from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette on Dec. 18.

“We’re really excited about everything,” Gerard Melancon said. “We have two wonderful boys.”

New wager at Delta

Delta Downs began offering rolling Super Hi 5 wagers on Tuesday night, said track spokesman Don Stevens. The bet requires horseplayers to pick the top five finishers in a given race in exact order. A race must have a minimum of seven starters for the Super Hi 5 to be offered, according to Louisiana racing rules. The wager is a hit-or-carryover proposition, he said, with no consolation payoffs. The Super Hi 5 has a 50-cent minimum.

◗ Mayla, the winner of the $75,000 Orleans last Saturday at Delta Downs, is being freshened at a farm, with the goal for her being a return to action later in the meet at Fair Grounds, said trainer Bret Calhoun.