Idratherbeblessed wires Muniz Memorial Classic, pays $174.20

Although Idratherbeblessed placed twice in his three stakes appearances during the Fair Grounds meet, the competition was stiffer in Saturday’s $300,000 Muniz Memorial Classic (G2). Bettors therefore ignored him as the 86-1 longest shot on the board, but the Chris Hartman trainee controlled the pace to spring the $174.20 shock.

The well-fancied Chad Brown shippers, 7-5 favorite Spirit of St Louis and the 2.40-1 Redistricting, checked in fourth and sixth, respectively. The result might have given favorite backers a sense of déjà vu, after Brown’s 3-10 shot Sierra Leone could manage only third behind front-running Touchuponastar in the preceding New Orleans Classic (G2).

Under a crafty Ben Curtis ride, Idratherbeblessed used his early speed to angle over from post 11 and secured the lead. The five-year-old gelding got away with steady fractions of :24.05, :49.53, and 1:14.55 on the firm course. The tracking Higgins Boat and Gigante appeared poised to pounce entering the stretch, but Ideratherbeblessed was too brave to be caught. 

As Gigante doggedly pursued all the way to the wire, Idratherbeblessed fended him off by a neck in 1:50.45 for 1 1/8 grassy miles. Cameo Performance deserves extra credit for faring best of the closers, rallying for third, just a half-length off the runner-up.

Spirit of St Louis checked in another length adrift in fourth, collaring the weakening Higgins Boat. Next came Redistricting, Rebel Red, Brilliant Berti, What Say Thee, Dancin in Da’nile, Smokey Mandate, and Johny’s Fireball.

Idratherbeblessed’s first stakes coup boosted his record to 27-5-6-6, $503,168, for owners JD Thoroughbreds and Wayne Scherr. The son of Unified didn’t make his stakes debut until the Dec. 21 Buddy Diliberto Memorial, when he placed second to Gigante. Runner-up to Gigante again in the off-the-turf Colonel E.R. Bradley S., Idratherbeblessed was most recently fourth in the Fair Grounds (G3) at the Muniz course and distance. The bare form implied that he’d do well to repeat that effort versus tougher opponents, but a different race dynamic played in his favor.

“An outside gate gave me a chance to go forward,” Curtis said of the Muniz turnaround. “He did a little bit too much in his last race and pulled too hard in behind. I was able to get into a rhythm and do my own thing on the front end. 

“He's a horse who really sticks his head down and tries. I think the extra distance really stood to him. I know he was a longshot on the board, but his most recent work was the best he’s ever put in. He got it done today.”

Idratherbeblessed might finally be channeling the class buried in his female line. Bred by Narola in Kentucky, he is out of the Tiznow mare Celestial Smile, from the family of European stars Duke of Marmalade and Ruler of the World.