Star Guitar S.
Fair Grounds, 3-31-18, 8.5f, $75,000
4yo/up

MOBILE BAY
Lone Star Special–Tranquility Bay
Breeder: Tigertail Ranch
Owner: Tigertail Ranch
Trainer: Victor Arceneaux
Jockey: Diego Saenz

2nd
Mageez
Musket Man–Spaseeba
Breeder: James A. Mcgehee Jr.
Owner: Double Dam Farm LLC
Trainer: Delmar R. Caldwell
Jockey: Shaun Bridgmohan

3rd
Underpressure
Birdstone–Charming Colleen
Breeder: James McIngvale
Owner: Mallory Greiner
Trainer: Chris Richard
Jockey: Colby J. Hernandez

 

Louisiana legend Mobile Bay continued his domination against homebred stakes company with a two-length win in the $75,000 Star Guitar Stakes March 31 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, the final stakes event of the 2017-18 winter meet.

Guided by regular rider Diego Saenz, Mobile Bay broke a step slow and was four wide around the first turn while sitting just off of pacesetter Morning Mischief, who set opening fractions of :24.65 and :48.23. Nubin Ridge was just a length behind in second, while Mobile Bay tracked in third.

Approaching the far turn, Mobile Bay began to inch his way closer and took command at the top of the stretch. Mageez closed late to get second but could not catch the winner, who finished in 1:43.79.

“Once he was in there he didn’t break that well, but at the half-mile pole, I was in a good position to win,” Saenz said. “He’s one of the biggest horses I’ve ever ridden.”

Mobile Bay returned $3.80, $3.00 and $2.10 while Mageez returned $6.60 and $4.00. Underpressure completed the trifecta and brought back $3.00.

The victory added $45,000 to Mobile Bay’s earnings, which now sit at $1,243,440. It also was his fifth consecutive stakes win. He scored in the Louisiana Champions Day Classic Stakes and the LA Bred Premier Night Championship Stakes for the second consecutive year. Other career highlights include wins against open company, which took place in the 2015 Super Derby (G2) at Louisiana Downs and in New Mexico’s Sunland Park Handicap (2016) and Zia Park Derby (2015).

Trainer Victor Arceneaux, who broke Star Guitar as a yearling, was pleased with the effort and stated that Mobile Bay would likely test his domination on the Louisiana-bred circuit in the $100,000 Louisiana Legends Classic at Evangeline Downs May 26.

“Going into the race, I was extremely concerned having Grande Basin and Underpressure in the race,” Arceneaux said. “He beat both of them by a nose. I don’t go into a race overconfident when you beat a horse by a nose. The way the race set up today, he broke a little slow, and Diego was able to rate him and get him to settle in. He had a much stronger finish. He didn’t make me sweat at the wire this time.”

Mobile Bay is by Lone Star Special. He was bred in Louisiana by his owners, Tigertail Ranch, out of the Out of Place mare Tranquility Bay.

The Star Guitar Stakes is named in honor of the all-time richest Louisiana-bred, who also was a four-time Louisiana Horse of the Year. He earned $1,749,862 in career earnings while finding the winner’s circle 24 times in 30 career starts. Such wins included multiple victories in the state of Louisiana’s premier races for homebreds, including the Louisiana Champions Day Classic Stakes, Premier Night Championship Stakes, and Evangeline Mile Handicap. He currently stands at Clear Creek Stud in Folsom, La., for $7,500 and has produced stakes winners Testing One Two, Minit To Stardom, and grade 1-placed Givemeaminit.