Last year’s Pennsylvania Derby (G1) winner Saudi Crown got back to his winning ways in Saturday’s $100,000 Tenacious S. at Fair Grounds.
Held over 1 1/16 miles, the Tenacious served as one of six undercard stakes supporting the Gun Runner S. and Untapable S., the final Kentucky Derby (G1) and Kentucky Oaks (G1) qualifiers of 2024. It also served as the perfect spot for Saudi Crown to rebound from a last-place finish in the Nov. 2 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1).
Favored at 11-10 while dropping in class, Saudi Crown ran to his odds. With Florent Geroux in the saddle, the Brad Cox-trained son of Always Dreaming settled one length behind early splits of :23.84 and :47.58 set by Track Phantom, then took over and finished up nicely to score by two lengths in 1:42.35. Kinetic rallied for second place, followed by Warrior Johny, Track Phantom, Velocitor, Confidence Game, Bo Cruz, and Happy American.
The Saturday stakes action at Fair Grounds began with the $100,000 Sugar Bowl S., a six-furlong dash for juveniles won by 2-5 favorite Tough Catch. Coming off top-three finishes in the Bowman Mill S. and Ed Brown S., the Dallas Stewart trainee pressed and set splits of :22.43 and :45.95 before staying on to beat Doroteo, Indian Cat, Thrilla, Contrabandist, and Countthebrave by one length in 1:10.48. A son of Complexity, Tough Catch was guided to victory by Luis Saez.
Two-year-old fillies provided a closer finish in the six-furlong $100,000 Letellier Memorial S. Favored Whata Moon carved out splits of :22.41 and :45.93, but got caught at the finish by the stretch-running first-time starter Simply Joking. The D. Whitworth Beckman-trained daughter of Practical Joke prevailed by a neck under Jaime Torres, reaching the finish line in 1:10.33 while Gerlin’s Empire, Sycamore, Black Ginger, and Nomoretanlines completed the order of finish.
Fillies and mares raced 1 1/16 miles on turf in the $100,000 Blushing K. D. S. Stir Crazy, a daughter of Vancouver dropping in class off a fourth-place finish in the Cardinal (G3), closed from fifth place behind a modest pace to prevail by half a length over Join the Dance, Autism Community, Callie’s Grit, Watch This Birdie, and Lute Warm. Trained by Mike Maker, Stir Crazy hit the wire in 1:44.77 under jockey Jose Ortiz.
The $100,000 Richard R. Scherer Memorial S., a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint, went to the Keith Desormeaux trainee Bear River. Fourth in his last two starts against allowance company at Churchill Downs, the three-year-old son of Flameaway set fractions of :22.69 and :45.90 with Axel Concepcion in the saddle before edging away to win by 2 1/4 lengths in 1:03.61. Minnesota Ready, Panther Island, Sitched, Son of a Birch, and Ambivalent trailed home Bear River.
Last among the undercard stakes, the $100,000 Buddy Diliberto Memorial S. saw 9-10 favorite Gigante win the 1 1/16-mile turf contest in 1:45.62. The Steve Asmussen-trained son of Not This Time rated in fourth place under Jose Ortiz as the pacesetter set slow fractions of :25.84, :50.95, and 1:15.91, but down the homestretch Gigante charged home to win by one length over Idratherbeblessed, Another Mystery, Swiftsure, and Evan Harlan.
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