“Back in the Big Easy to Become a Millionaire,” Free Like a Girl Bags the Hebert
New Orleans, La (Nov. 17, 2023) – Opening day of the 152nd racing season at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots will forever be remembered as the day Free Like a Girl surpassed $1 million in career earnings. Overcoming a claustrophobic trip, the Louisiana Champion filly as both a 2-year-old and a 3-year-old spurted away from the field of 11 to win the $75,000 Doris Hebert Memorial by 3/4 length over a persistent Olivia G.
Gerald Bruno, Jr., Chasey Pomier, and Jerry Caroom’s daughter of El Deal covered the 6 furlongs in 1:12.12 across a main track rated “good.” Even money was the reward for her backers in the win pool
Trained by Chasey Pomier, Free Like a Girl was piloted by Vicente Del Cid. Sticking her nose across the milestone threshold, the 4-year-old out the Flashy Bull mare Flashy Prize now boasts $1,006,578 in lifetime earnings and a career record of 31: 14-8-4. Free Like a Girl was bred by Kim Renee Stover & Lisa Osborne.
Wire to Wire Was the Way for Vale Male in the Valene Memorial
Though never having led the pack at any opening call in her first 13 races, D & S Stables’ Vale Male did just that and more to win the $75,000 John Valene Memorial wire-to-wire on Friday. Breaking sharply outside of seven older fillies and mares, the daughter of Bodemeister out of the Kantharos dam Wildwood Kantharos dropped down to occupy the vacancy and never looked back through the 1 mile 70 yards. Beating A G’s Charlotte by 3/4 lengths, the 4-year-old stopped the clock at 1:45.20 to pay 9.50 – 1.
Trained by James “Sweets” Hodges, Vale Male received the heads-up services of jockey James Graham, who with this victory sits nine back from career win 3,000. Bred by J. Adcock & Hume Wornall, Vale Male now tallies a career record of 14: 5-3-2 adding up to $172,440 in lifetime earnings.
Home From Saratoga, Louisiana’s Own Clearly a Test Breaks Maiden in the Ferguson Stakes
Louisiana-bred through and through, Brittlyn Stables’ homebred Clearly a Test returned home from her summer racing at Saratoga to break her maiden in the $75,000 Donovan L. Ferguson Memorial. Drawn inside against a field of 14 juvenile fillies, the daughter of Clearly Now hit the gate and had to fight her way from near the back in the 5 1/2-furlong dirt sprint under jockey Jose Guerrero. Advancing along the rail, it wasn’t until the far turn that she boldly maneuvered to the outside, but once she did her talented kick moved her to the front of the 2021 class. Sealing the deal in 1:06.95, Clearly a Test beat out Tommie G by 1 1/2 lengths, paying 1.60 as the post-time favorite.
Trained by Shane Wilson, the daughter of Clearly Now out of the Star Guitar dam Testing One Two is now 4:1-0-0 with $63,900 in earnings.
Follow this link for the full results and payouts of the three opening day stakes: https://www.equibase.com/
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