Sippin on Gin stole the show in the Louisiana Stallion of the Year “Star Guitar. (Hodges Photogaphy / Amanda Hodges Weir)
Longshots Allnight Moonlight and Sippin on Gin Score in Two of Saturday’s Statebred Quartet of Stakes
Fair Grounds Release
NEW ORLEANS, La. – Four of Saturday’s five stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots were written for Louisiana-breds, and the longshots Allnight Moonlight and Sippin on Gin stole the show in the Louisiana Stallion of the Year “Star Guitar” and Edward J. Johnston Memorial, respectively. Both the Louisiana Broodmare of the Year “Blue Prize” and the Red Camelia, the pair of sibling stakes for females, proved more formful as Blue Fire proved much the best and Highly Wicked kept her perfect record on the turf intact.
Exiting a win in the Premier Night Gentleman Starter, Roger Smith’s Allnight Moonlight transferred his dirt form to the Stall-Wilson turf course to storm home late and steal the $100,000 Eddie Johnston at 24-1.
Trained by Sam Breaux, Allnight Moonlight covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.53 under Elio Barrera. With three entered in the Eddie Johnston, Breaux also sent out the third-place finisher Blue Cheese.
Calicoco led the field of 11 older males through the swift opening calls while Allnight Moonlight and Blue Cheese settled in the back of the pack. Approaching the far turn the stablemates split ways as Allnight Moonlight went wide, circling the field, and Blue Cheese clung to the rail. Allnight Moonlight outkicked them all down the center of the track to win by 2 lengths over Good and Stout. Behind Blue Cheese, passing Judgement rounded out the superfecta.
“He’s bred for the turf, we just haven’t been able to run him,” Breaux said. “When he won the stake at (Evangeline Downs) it was supposed to be a turf race but got rained off. We knew we had to get him a shot on the grass.”
Allnight Moonlight paid $51.00, $22.60, and $13.00.
The 2023 Crescent City Derby champion now boasts a career record of 20-8-3-1 with $404,900 in earnings.
At 25-1 Allied Racing Stables’ homebred Sippin on Gin made a bold move through a small opening to rally up the rail and beat out fellow longshot Cajun Mitole and 1-5 favorite Dapper Moon in the $100,000 Louisiana Stallion of the Year “Star Guitar” Stakes.
Trained by Bret Calhoun and piloted by Axel Concepcion, Sippin on Gin covered the 1 mile and 70 yards in 1:43.03 with a winning margin of 1 1/2 lengths.
“My horse broke so well,” Concepcion said. “I wanted to go with the rhythm of the race and had him waiting behind horses. The rail opened and I had the horse to hit the spot. He gave me everything.”
Exiting his maiden score, the 3-year-old son of Mr. Money now tallies a career record of 3-2-1-0 with a bankroll of $106,400.
“We’ve always thought he wanted to go long,” Calhoun said. “He’s been getting better and maturing every day. I thought this was a big step for him, but Axel and I talked and thought that a lot of these horses might not want to go that far. A special win for Chester Thomas (owner and breeder) and his family.”
Sippin on Gin paid $52.20, $17.80, and $3.80.
The Louisiana bred stakes action kicked off with the $100,000 Louisiana Broodmare of the Year “Blue Prize” as Stonestreet Stables and Peter Leidel’s Blue Fire led the pack of five 3-year-old fillies at every call, earning her second stake win of the meet for trainer Steve Asmussen.
Piloted across the one mile by Florent Geroux, Blue Fire stopped the clock in 1:38.22, finishing 1 1/14 lengths ahead of Margie’s Intention. Powdered Sugar rounded out the trifecta.
“She has very good tactical speed,” Geroux said. “I tried to make sure I squeezed the trigger at the right time, and she responded very well for me and won pretty easily in the end. She started waiting on the others at the end, but I felt I had plenty left in the tank.”
Sent off as the odds-on favorite, Blue Fire paid $3.80, $2.10, and $2.10.
From five starts, all three of the Aurelius Maximus filly’s wins have come locally, including the Louisiana Champions Day Lassie. Second last out in the Premier Night Starlet at Delta Downs, Blue Fire’s career earnings now total $175,120.
In the $100,000 Red Camelia, Earl Hernandez, Keith Hernandez & John Duvieilh’s homebred Highly Wicked came from just off the pace to power away down the stretch, extending her perfect record on the turf to six-for-six for trainer Sam David Jr.
“I don’t think I’ve ever had a horse go six for six,” David said. “Some time along they’ve all found a way to get beat but she just keeps on coming. She’s been a real pleasure to be around. A great filly to work with in the barn. Everybody loves her. She does everything right. She gives you everything 100% of the time.”
With Marcelino Pedroza Jr. in the irons, Highly Wicked covered one mile in 1:39.04. The 5-year-old Wicked Strong mare won by 3 3/34 lengths over Tommie G.
“She really gave it to me down the lane,” Pedroza said. “Coming from off the pace is a new dimension for her. It’s pretty cool that now we don’t need to be on the lead with her.”
Sent off at 5-2, Highly Wicked paid $7.60, $3.80, and $2.60.
With a career record of 16-7-0-2, including the Louisiana Champions Day Ladies Turf, Highly Wicked added $60,000 to her bankroll for a total of $254,430.
Fair Grounds will be dark on Sunday, March 2, but live racing resumes on Monday, March 3 and Tuesday, March 4. The 81st running of the $100,000 Mardi Gras Stakes is set for Fat Tuesday. First post both days is 12:45 p.m. CT.
