Two Emmys capped a big afternoon for favorites on the turf in New Orleans on Saturday when leading all the way in the $145,500 Fair Grounds (G3).
The 9-5 choice in a field of eight, Two Emmys figured to move forward in the about nine-furlong test after missing by a half-length in the Jan. 21 Colonel E.R. Bradley S. in his first start since June. Two Emmys wound up dominating his rivals, striding away in the stretch to win by 4 1/4 lengths under James Graham.
Owned by Wolfe Racing and trainer Hugh Robertson, Two Emmys finished up in 1:54.73 on firm ground and paid $5.60. Gentle Soul, the Colonel Bradley winner, edged 20-1 longshot English Tavern for second by a neck. The order of finish was rounded out by Bay Street Money, Pixelate, Tiz the Bomb, and 2022 Fair Grounds winner Cavalry Charge.
The Fair Grounds was the seventh win in 24 career starts for the seven-year-old Two Emmys, who earned his signature victory in the 2021 Mr. D. (G1) at Arlington. Two Emmys will next go for a title defense in the March 25 Muniz Memorial (G2) at Fair Grounds.
“He’s a lot of fun to train because he’s a nice horse, and he’s sound,” Robertson said.
Bred in Kentucky by Tottenwood Thoroughbreds, the gelded Two Emmys is by English Channel and out of Miss Emmy, by Buddha.
Evan Sing made his stakes debut a winning one in the $99,000 Colonel Power S., drawing in off the also-eligible list and rallying to defeat Angaston to win by three parts of a length as the 2-1 favorite in a field of eight. Yankee Seven, a 23-1 longshot, finished 1 1/4 lengths behind in third.
Owned and bred by Norman Cheng and trained by Al Stall, Evan Sing returned $6.20 after completing about 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:05.98.
Evan Sing has now won three of six starts and is 2-for-2 over the Fair Grounds turf, having broken his maiden over the course 11 months ago. The Kentucky-bred is by Hard Spun and out of German stakes winner Viapervita.
In the $99,000 Albert M. Stall Memorial for fillies and mares, Godolphin-owned horses ran one-to when 17-10 favorite Lake Lucerne rallied against the outer rail to win by two lengths from Soft Touch, who was followed by Trail Ridge Road in the third.
Trained by Brendan Walsh and ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, Lake Lucerne covered about 1 1/16 miles in 1:48.07 and paid $5.40.
The Stall Memorial was the first stakes win for Lake Lucerne, a six-year-old daughter of Dubawi and Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) winner Round Pond. The Kentucky-bred had previously placed in six stakes, including the Blushing K. D. and Marie Krantz Memorial earlier in the Fair Grounds meet.
