With his sights potentially on the New Orleans H. (G2) next spring, Tom’s d’Etat made a positive first step toward that goal, with a decisive 3 1/2-length win over 13-1 chance Phat Man in the $73,500 Tenacious, one of six stakes held at Fair Grounds on Saturday.
Owned by Gayle Benson, Tom’s d’Etat scored his sixth win in nine career starts in the Tenacious, completing 1 1/16 miles over a fast main track in 1:42.49. He paid $3.40 as the 7-10 public choice. Shaun Bridgmohan rode the winner for trainer Al Stall.
This was the first career stakes appearance for Tom’s d’Etat, who had spent 15 months on the sidelines prior to a dominating 7 1/4-length allowance prep win at Churchill Downs on November 4. The son of Smart Strike has now earned $278,492.
Upcoming races for older horses on dirt at Fair Grounds are the $75,000 Louisiana on January 19, the $150,000 Mineshaft H. (G3) on February 16, and the $400,000 New Orleans H. on March 23.
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Great Wide Open, meanwhile, will be a horse to watch through Fair Grounds’ season of stakes for older horses on turf after the veteran son of Starspangledbanner captured the $74,250 Buddy Diliberto Memorial by a widening 4 1/2 lengths.
Nursed gate to wire by James Graham, the Irish-bred Great Wide Open covered about 1 1/16 miles on good ground in 1:41.47 for owners M and J Thoroughbreds and Riverside Bloodstock and trainer Conor Murphy. The 17-10 favorite paid $5.40. Big Changes edged Sir Dudley Digges for second.
This was the first career stakes win for Great Wide Open, who finished second in the Shadwell Turf Mile (G1) at Keeneland and in the $681,000 Tourist Mile at Kentucky Downs during the fall. His record now stands at 38-7-6-4, $467,043.
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Wynn Time ($6.80) followed up his win in last month’s Thanksgiving H. with a late-surging neck score over pacesetter Latent Revenge in the $74,250 Bonapaw, the first stakes on Saturday’s card.
Ridden by Marcelino Pedroza, Wynn Time captured his turf debut as the 2-1 favorite, covering about 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:02.64.
Owned by John Mentz and trained by Hugh Robertson, Wynn Time had narrowly lost to Whitmore in both the Count Fleet Sprint H. (G3) and $125,000 Hot Springs earlier this year. The Illinois-bred son of Three Hour Nap has now earned $279,820 from a record of 10-7-2-1.
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Beau Recall also got up in the shadow of the wire to claim a turf stakes, beating Vagabond Princess by a half-length in the $75,000 Blushing K. D. for fillies and mares.
Owned by Slam Dunk Racing and Medallion Racing, the Irish-bred daughter of Sir Prancealot was making her debut with trainer Brad Cox having been previously based with Simon Callaghan in Southern California.
Ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan, Beau Recall paid $12.20 after covering about 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.71.
Winner of the Royal Heroine (G3) in April and placed in the Del Mar Oaks (G1), Honeymoon (G2), and Senorita (G3) last season, Beau Recall improved her record to 19-4-4-0, $444,912.
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Gray Attempt led wire-to-wire to take the $74,250 Sugar Bowl for two-year-olds and gave Shaun Bridgmohan a third stakes win on the card. The son of Graydar won by one length over Manny Wah and completed six furlongs on the main track in 1:10.45.
Owned by Dwight Pruett and trained by Jinks Fires, Gray Attempt ran fourth in his debut at Churchill Downs on Breeders’ Cup weekend, but rebounded to graduate over the same track by 1 1/2 lengths on November 25. He boosted his earnings to $94,700.
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In the $74,250 Letellier Memorial for two-year-old fillies, Bell’s the One improved her record to three-for-three with a half-length score over Idle Hour. Ridden by Florent Geroux, Bell’s the One paid $9 after completing six furlongs in 1:11.80.
Owned by Lothenbach Stables and trained by Neil Pessin, Bell’s the One won her debut at Arlington by 2 1/4 lengths in early September. She followed up with a three-length allowance tally at Keeneland in October. The daughter of Majesticperfection has now bankrolled $105,600.
