Underpressure closes Delta season with Owner Appreciation Cup win

Underpressure cleaned up in February at Delta Downs.

He won the track’s final stakes race Saturday night in the $70,000 Owner Appreciation Cup, one start after taking Delta’s richest offering, the $150,000 Louisiana Premier Night Championship on Feb. 8.

The Owner Appreciation Cup was one of two restricted stakes on the card. Jack the Umpire captured the $70,000 Big Drama for 3-year-olds. Both stakes were restricted to horses who had started in an overnight race at Delta since the meet opened Oct. 7. Delta closed out its season Saturday.

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Underpressure ($5.80) raced in last in the early going of the Owner Appreciation Cup, as Bending Saint took the field through an opening quarter in 23.32 seconds and Treasure Trove took over through a half-mile in 47.33. Underpressure launched a serious bid around the final turn, moved past Treasure Trove in the stretch, and drifted late while covering the mile for 4-year-olds and up in 1:38.79.

Underpressure won by 1 1/4 lengths over Treasure Trove. Paddock Pick finished third after winning a photo over fourth-place finisher Stephen’s Answer.

Following the race, a claim of foul was lodged against Underpressure by the rider of Treasure Trove, who altered course in the stretch. There was no change made to the order of finish.

The Owner Appreciation Cup was the seventh career stakes win for Underpressure, and the first-place check of $48,000 pushed his career earnings to $741,382. Overall, he is 13 for 36 for owner Mallory Greiner. Her husband, Chris Richard, trains Underpressure, a son of Birdstone who was bred by Jim McIngvale. Gerard Melancon was aboard for both the Owner Appreciation Cup and the Louisiana Premier Night Championship.

Richard said Underpressure is a candidate for the $60,000 Star Guitar on March 28 at Fair Grounds.

Jack the Umpire ($5.40) also was winning his second stakes at the meet Saturday night. He pulled away to a 5 3/4-length win over Secret Biscuit in the Big Drama. It was another half-length back in third to Blazin’ Asian.

Jack the Umpire tracked Blazin’ Asian through an opening quarter in 23.90 seconds and a half-mile in 48.04 before overtaking that one under Tommy Pompell. The winner covered seven furlongs around two turns in 1:26.48.

Brett Brinkman trains Jack the Umpire, and also is the co-breeder of the horse with owner P. Dale Ladner. Jack the Umpire is by Bodemeister and out of the mare Sittin At the Bar, a multiple stakes winner who earned $705,896.

Jack the Umpire registered his first stakes win at the meet in the Jean Lafitte. He has now won four of seven starts and has earnings of $156,800.

► Karl Broberg won his ninth consecutive training title at Delta on Saturday. The meet’s leading rider was Timothy Thornton. The leading owner was End Zone Athletics.