Yankee Seven finally finds winner's circle in Costa Rising
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His third try at winning the Costa Rising Stakes proved to be the charm for Yankee Seven, who, under Marcelino Pedroza Jr., wore down pacesetting favorite Bertie’s Galaxy to win the $75,000 Costa Rising by two lengths at Fair Grounds on Saturday.
Bertie’s Galaxy, who set solid fractions under Jareth Loveberry, held second by 2 3/4 lengths over Alterana, who had his five-race winning streak snapped in this spot.
Yankee Seven, a 6-year-old gelding by Yankee Gentleman, was coming off a second-level allowance win sprinting on turf at Sam Houston against open company. This running of the Costa Rising did not have a ton of turf form in it, including Yankee Seven, who was only 1 for 6 over the surface. Included in that record was a third-place finish in the 2020 Costa Rising and seventh-place finish in last year’s running.
On Saturday, Yankee Seven was making his fifth start for trainer Eduardo Ramirez, winning for the third time for him.
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Bertie’s Galaxy, looking to transfer his stakes-winning dirt form to the turf, shot out of the gate under Loveberry and opened a length advantage after a quarter of 22.31 seconds. Pedroza had Yankee Seven in second entering the far turn, engaged Bertie’s Galaxy straightening away down the lane and overtook him inside the furlong marker.
“The trainer told me if you put him right there on the turn a length behind BG, we might get a shot and see who will run faster turning for home and we did,” said Pedroza, who also won the Crescent City Oaks earlier on the card aboard Dreaming of Neany.
Yankee Seven covered the 5 1/2 furlongs over firm turf in 103.78 and returned $12.80 as the fifth choice in the field of 12. Yankee Seven was given a 90 Beyer Speed Figure.
Cosmic Train upsets Crescent City Derby
Cosmic Train, last of 10 approaching the top of the stretch, rallied stoutly along the inside under James Graham to outfinish the four-wide rallying favorite More Memories and win the $75,000 Crescent City Derby by a head.
More Memories finished 5 1/2 lengths ahead of Jack Bob and Larry in the stakes for Louisiana-bred 3-year-olds.
The win was the third from four starts for Cosmic Train, a son of Klimt owned by Delanie Calais Jr. and trained by Jerry Delhomme.
Graham, who will finish as the leading rider at Fair Grounds for the fourth year in a row, has been aboard for all three of Cosmic Train’s victories. As was the case in the previous two rides, Graham rallied the horse from last, on Saturday taking advantage of fractions of 23.43 seconds for the quarter and 47.32 for the half-mile to get the job done.
“Same thing,” Graham said in a post-race interview. “He had a good pace in front of him and he just gobbled them up down the lane and ran all the way to the wire. Can’t ask for more than that.”
Cosmic Train covered the 1 1/16-miles in 1:43.78, getting a 78 Beyer Speed Figure, and returned $26.40 as the fifth choice in the field of 11.
Dreaming of Neany takes Crescent City Oaks
Dreaming of Neany split horses in midstretch under Marcelino Pedroza Jr. and rallied along the rail to win the $75,000 Crescent City Oaks by one length over 63-1 shot Courtly Doc.
It was another three lengths back to 69-1 Bode’s Connection.
Serape, the even-money favorite, bobbled at the break, but was still able to make the lead. She faded after six furlongs in 1:12.55, opening it up for an upsetter and Dreaming of Neany, second to Serape in an allowance on Feb. 3, came through.
The win was the second straight and third in five starts for Dreaming of Neany, a daughter of Distorted Humor owned and bred by Keith and Earl Hernandez, Steve Landry and John Duvieilh.
Dreaming of Neany covered the mile and 70 yards in 1:44.05, getting a 57 Beyer Speed Figure, and returned $19.60.