Chip Doncho takes control in the Gun Runner, Fair Grounds Photo
Fair Grounds Press
NEW ORLEANS — Leland Ackerley Racing’s Chip Honcho prevailed in a thrilling edition of the $100,000 Gun Runner Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, giving trainer Steve Asmussen his third victory in the race’s five runnings.
Ridden by Paco Lopez, Chip Honcho covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.76, beating Liberty National to the wire by three-quarters of a length. After leading throughout, Crown the Buckeye held on to finish third.
Breaking cleanly, Chip Honcho settled to the leader’s outside, keeping pacesetter Crown the Buckeye in his sights through sharp fractions of :23.62 and :46.66. Liberty National, who broke a touch slow after being knocked at the start, gathered himself near the back of the field and steadily advanced along the rail.
Holding strong through the far turn, Crown the Buckeye began to tire deep in the stretch as Chip Honcho and Liberty National continued to close. Chip Honcho made the decisive move outside the leader, while Liberty National rallied late along the rail to secure second.
With the victory, Chip Honcho earned 10 points toward the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard. Liberty National received five points for his runner-up finish, while Crown the Buckeye earned three points for finishing third. Quality Mischief ran fourth to earn two points, while Very Connected finished fifth and added one point, giving him a total of six leaderboard points.
Exiting a maiden victory at Churchill Downs going one mile, Chip Honcho proved himself at a full two turns in the Gun Runner. He joined the ranks of Epicenter and Track Phantom, Asmussen’s other two winners of the first of four local Derby preps.
Chip Honcho paid $9.80, $4.40 and $3.00.
Chip Honcho’s career record of 3-2-1-0 has earned him $150,475.
Scheduled for Jan. 17, the $250,000 Lecomte Stakes (G3) is the next stop on the Fair Grounds Road to the Kentucky Derby.
Gun Runner Quotes
Paco Lopez, jockey of winner Chip Honcho
“I had him in good position to the outside after I got him to settle. He really started setting down a nice run at the quarter pole, and I thought we could go get the leader. My horse gave everything he had.”
Brian Hernandez Jr., jockey of place finisher Liberty National
“We got knocked around out of the gates, but he overcame that pretty quickly. I don’t know if he cared for the inside. He was just a little hesitant. Just one of those learning races for a talented horse. He never gave up. He kept coming at them and when he finally got to the lead after the wire he took off.”
Jareth Loveberry, jockey of third-place finisher Crown the Buckeye
“He gave me everything he had. At the 16th pole, I’m like where’s the wire? I needed it. He put it all out there. He really did, he fought. He heard them coming, and he dug in.”
Hit Parade Survives Inquiry to Win Untapable Stakes
Gary & Mary West’s homebred Hit Parade showed grit and determination to capture Saturday’s 1 mile 70-yard, $100,000 Untapable Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, surviving a steward’s inquiry following a dramatic stretch run.
Trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Luis Saez, Hit Parade stopped the clock in 1:42.97, outfinishing Luv Your Neighbor by a head. The stewards reviewed late-race contact involving Hit Parade with runner-up Luv Your Neighbor and third-place finisher Pashmina, but the result stood.
Hit Parade raced professionally early, breaking sharply and finding an inside spot to track pacesetter Pashmina. Luv Your Neighbor settled near the back before setting down a strong rail rally coming out of the far turn. Hit Parade shifted out at the top of the stretch, and as she passed a tiring Pashmina, came in as Luv Your Neighbor was rallying to the leader’s inside. The filly and Luv Your Neighbor made contact, squeezing Pashmina back.
Luv Your Neighbor, ridden by Axel Concepcion, took a brief awkward step after drawing contact with Hit Parade but stayed on resolutely, displaying remarkable athleticism to maintain balance while finishing strongly for second.
Sent off as the post-time favorite, Hit Parade returned $6.60, $4.20 and $3.20.
With the victory, Hit Parade earned 10 points toward the Road to the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard. Luv Your Neighbor received five points for her runner-up finish, while Pashmina earned three points for third. Have Faith ran fourth to earn two points, and Actis finished fifth, earning one point.
Hit Parade’s career record now stands at 4-3-0-1 with $147,980 in earnings.
Scheduled for Jan. 17, the $150,000 Silverbulletday Stakes is the next stop on the Fair Grounds Road to the Kentucky Oaks.
Untapable Quotes
Luis Saez, jockey of winner Hit Parade
“She broke nice and relaxed for a perfect trip. She was a little green when we went for the lead but she quickly got going straight again and fought hard for the win.”
Axel Concepcion, jockey of place-finisher Luv Your Neighbor
“Coming into this race I really liked the way she was training. She did everything right stretching out for the first time. We took contact from the winner and she kept fighting. I’m proud of my filly.”
Ben Curtis, jockey of third-palace finisher, Pashmina
“I didn’t want to be on the lead, really, but she broke so sharp. I mean, we went 24. And she’s only had the two runs, and she is still very green. And the last day, I got a lead all the way past the quarter pole, and then she set sail. Today I just felt like the greenness caught up with her at the quarter pole. She waited for them to go, and then, you know, I had to take a significant snatch out of her. She’s a nice filly, I’d expect her to probably beat them again, you know, if they were to run against each other again.”
Not This Boy Shows Grit in Tenacious
Zimmer Ridge Ranch’s homebred Not This Boy delivered a determined performance Saturday at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, taking command early and outbattling Komorebino Omoide down the stretch to win the $100,000 Tenacious Stakes on Road to the Derby Kickoff Day.
Trained by Doug Cowans and ridden by Jose Ortiz, Not This Boy covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.69, finishing 3/4 length ahead of Sir Greylind.
“He jumped well from the gate and into the first turn I saw the opportunity to take the lead,” Ortiz said. “I saw his last race at Churchill when we went 46 to the half so I knew he could do it. He was relaxed on the backstretch and I was pretty happy with him. When I asked him to run he gave me all he had.”
Not This Boy set the pace, carving out opening fractions of :23.84 and :46.67 while under pressure from Komorebino Omoide. The two remained in close company into the stretch, where Komorebino Omoide loomed to his outside. After locking eyes with his rival, Not This Boy kicked clear near the sixteenth pole, holding off a late rally from Sir Greylind. Stowaway finished third.
“I talked to Jose in the paddock and told him the horse likes to be forwardly placed,” Cowans said. “I knew (Komorebino Omoide) had a little bit of speed so when we outbroke him and took the lead, I was a little nervous when he bounced outside and pushed us along. Jose did a great job to get him to relax and the horse is a strong fighter. Once he gets on the lead he’s tough to get by.”
Adding a first stakes win to his resume, the 4-year-old son of Not This Time’s career record now stands at 9-4-4-1 with $349,536 in lifetime earnings.
“We hope to come back to Fair Grounds with him,” Cowens said. “We will get him back home (to Turfway) this week and see where he goes from here.”
The Tenacious Stakes is the first of four dirt route stakes for older horses at Fair Grounds, followed by the $175,000 Louisiana (G3), the $250,000 Mineshaft (G3) and the $500,000 New Orleans Classic (G2).
Déjà-vu as Idratherbeblessed Upsets Diliberto
Last year’s long-odds winner of the Muniz (G2) struck again, as Idratherbeblessed wired the field at 17-1 in the $100,000 Buddy Diliberto Memorial at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.
Trained by Chris Hartman and piloted by Marcelino Pedroza Jr., Idratherbeblessed covered 1 1/16 miles on the turf in 1:41.50.
Expected pace rival Theismann was scratched in the paddock after being found improperly shod for the turf, clearing the way for Idratherbeblessed to establish an uncontested lead. Traveling comfortably throughout, Idratherbeblessed turned back late challenges from Kupuna, second, and Sand Pipes, third.
“My plan was to go to the lead all along,” Pedroza said. “I thought Legalize was the other speed after (Theismann) scratched, so once we got out of the gates clean, I got him to the front and stayed out of his way. He’s a fighter and I knew he’d be there for me in the stretch.
Idratherbeblessed returned $37.20, $9.00, and $6.80.
In the Muniz, Idratherbeblessed wired the field at 86-1.
The 5-year-old son of Unified now has a career record of 31-5-6-6 with lifetime earnings of $573,069.
The Diliberto Memorial is the first of four turf route stakes for older horses at Fair Grounds, followed by the $100,000 Colonel E.R. Bradley, the $175,000 Fair Grounds Stakes (G3) and the $300,000 Muniz Memorial (G2), each presented by Horse Racing Nation
