Trubs returns to one turn - and the winner's circle

Turns out all Trubs needed was a turn-back in distance from two turns to one in order to return to the winner’s circle. And there he was after the $58,200 Black Gold Stakes on Saturday at Fair Grounds, victorious by a neck over Divine Music in one of two 3-year-old sprint stakes on the card.

Trubs, owned by Adele Dilschneider and Claiborne Farm, and trained by Al Stall, had made three two-turn starts since clearing the maiden ranks Sept. 26 at Louisiana Downs. Trubs won the first of those routes, beating open allowance horses at Delta, but he then finished fourth in the Springboard Mile at Remington and, back at Delta, was fourth in the Jean Lafitte last month.

The Black Gold was contested at six furlongs, and Trubs showed a sharper finishing kick. He stalked front-runners Changing the Rules and Hydro Power through an opening fraction of 22.16 seconds for the quarter-mile, and had ranged up on the outside to challenge for the lead through a half-mile in 46.03. The two speedsters dropped out while Divine Music snuck through at the fence and briefly looked like a winner in mid-stretch, but Trubs, under Jesse Campbell, battled back to narrowly prevail. He was timed in 1:11.8 for six furlongs, and paid $8.80 to win. Changing the Rules held third, 3 1/2 lengths behind Divine Music.

The filly version of the Black Gold, the $56,400 Tiffany Lass Stakes, scratched down to just four runners, and at the top of the long Fair Grounds stretch they had lined up four deep across the track. Moving best between horses, however, was Wicked Deed, who ran her Fair Grounds record this meet to 3 for 3 with a going-away 5 1/4-length score.

Trained by Steve Asmussen for Winchell Thoroughbreds, and ridden by Rosie Napravnik, Wicked Deed paid $4.80 to win and was timed in 1:11.75 for six furlongs. Favored Flash Mash finished second. Show wagering was cancelled because of the short field.