Saturday was Super Derby Day at Louisiana Downs, but a pair of juvenile stakes on the undercard wound up showcasing a pair of nice future stars.
Jerry Durant’s Budro Talking separated himself from the pack in the stretch of the $60,000 Sunday Silence Stakes, pulling away to a 1 3/4-length score under jockey Diego Saenz to move his record to a perfect two-for-two.
The Danny Pish-trained juvenile bided his time in midpack early in the one-mile turf contest, and came four wide around the second turn. The rest of the field surrounded the Tale of Ekati colt, but he slipped away to stop the clock in 1:37.82 over the firm turf.
Budro Taking was sent off the near 7-1 fifth choice against eight rivals while making his turf debut in this spot. He broke his maiden by 2 1/2 lengths at first asking on July 26 going 5 1/2 furlongs over Evangeline Downs’ main track, and boosted his career earnings to $52,500 with this win.
Lady O’Toole was just as an impressive winner in the $60,000 Happy Ticket Stakes later on the card while also trying turf for the first time. The Colonel John juvenile lass stalked the early pace before kicking into high gear in the lane, pulling off under jockey Colby Hernandez to be 3 1/2 lengths clear on the wire.
Trained by Brad Cox for Steve Landers Racing LLC, Lady O’Toole lived up to her 6-5 favoritism while finishing a mile on the firm turf in 1:37.03. The bay filly broke her maiden at first asking on June 16 at Churchill Downs, then finished fifth while making her stakes debut in the Debutante Stakes. She entered this spot off a nice allowance score at Indiana Grand on July 26, and now shows a 4-3-0-0 mark to go along with $82,470 in lifetime earnings.
The $186,000 Super Derby concluded the stakes action for the day, with 3-5 favorite Mr. Misunderstood getting up in the lane to secure a three-length triumph.
The Brad Cox trainee was never far back in the short five-horse field, tracking the early leaders in third and going three wide around the final turn under jockey Chris Rosier. Mr. Misunderstood wrested control away from Phat Man and Sonneteer, opening up to be clear on the wire in a final time of 1:42.91 for 1 1/16 miles on the firm turf.
The Super Derby saw its Grade 3 status disappear while being run on the turf for the first time this year.
Mr. Misunderstood paid $3.40 for the win, with pacesetter Phat Man filling the second spot two lengths in front of Sonneteer. Flying Honeypot followed in fourth, another 4 3/4 lengths behind, while Fast Talkin Man ran in last throughout before taking a bad step, being pulled up and vanned off.
Now 10-6-1-0, Mr. Misunderstood doubled his career earnings to $243,794. The Archarcharch gelding, who races for Flurry Racing Stables, has captured six of his last eight starts, including the local prep, the Prelude Stakes, on August 5.
One race before the Super Derby, Greg Allen Johnson’s Net Gain upset 1-5 favorite Big Changes when drawing off to a 3 1/2-length win in the $60,000 Unbridled Stakes.
Jockey Glenn Corbett guided the Clinton Stuart trainee, who rallied to take command entering the lane and went on to finish 1 1/16 miles on the firm turf in 1:41.76. Net Gain earned his third stakes victory in this spot while making his first grass appearance since finishing fifth in a Churchill Downs turf allowance/optional claimer last November. The five-year-old gelded son of Include improved his lifetime mark to 27-6-5-5, $323,587.
Quinta Verde kicked off the stakes action at Louisiana Downs on Saturday when posting a 3 1/4-length victory in the $60,000 River Cities Stakes as the 4-5 favorite.
Campaigned by Swift Thoroughbreds Inc., Sheep Pond Partners and Bradley Thoroughbreds, the Irish-bred daughter of Tamayuz completed 1 1/16 miles on the firm turf in 1:43.32 under jockey Diego Saenz. Quinta Verde earned her first stakes score in this spot, and first win since transferring to trainer Brad Cox, and now boasts a 9-2-2-3, $106,619, career record.
Two races later, Eden Grey’s Kitten got up to stick his neck in front of pacesetter Wings Locked Up to secure the win in the $50,000 Need for Speed Stakes under Gerard Melancon.
The five-year-old gelded son of Kitten’s Joy was the 4-1 third choice in the nine-strong field and ran about five furlongs on the firm turf in :56.36. Trained by Steven Flint for Whispering Oaks Farm, Eden Grey’s Kitten added a second stakes win to his resume – which now stands at 25-9-6-3, $295,360 lifetime – and scored his fourth victory from seven starts this season.
The sister race to the Need for Speed Stakes, the $50,000 Tellike Stakes, saw Curtis C. Green’s homebred Justa Lady utilize a furious rally in late stretch to just get up and nip pacesetter Our Valor by three parts of a length on the wire.
Sent off the 7-5 favorite in the eight-distaffer field, the More Than Ready four-year-old miss flew home in the final yards to finish about five furlongs on the firm turf in :56.13 under Diego Saenz. The Steve Asmussen-conditioned daughter of More Than Ready captured her stakes bow in this spot to improve her scorecard to 16-4-5-2, $211,967.
