Guitar Solo wins the Acadiana Stakes at Evangeline Downs. Coady Photography.
Guitar Solo broke sharply to gain early control and led every step in the $60,000 Acadiana Stakes. The race for 3-year-old fillies was contested over six furlongs.
Jockey Devin Magnon and Guitar Solo broke alertly and were quickly a length in front of the Acadiana field. Fibber, showing a new dimension with some early speed, was on the chase from the outset. Guitar Solo held a 2-1/2 length advantage through an opening quarter-mile in 22.46 seconds, but Fibber was able to cut the margin to just a half-length after the half-mile split in 45.76.
As the field turned for home, Guitar Solo dug in and would not be denied, holding on for a length victory in the end. Fibber gave a valiant effort in defeat and was well clear of third-place finisher Nana’s Corn Muffin, with the margin another 2-3/4 lengths. The winner stopped the timer in 1:11.92.
Owned by World War IV Racing (Warren McFatter and John Christmann), Guitar Solo wins for the third time in five career starts. The winning purse of $36,000 increases her lifetime earnings to $133,800.
Trained by Allen Landry, the winner was sired by Star Guitar. She is out of the Grand Appointment mare Tory’s Triumph.
Off as a slight favorite, Guitar Solo returns $4.40 to win, $2.60 to place and $2.10 to show. Fibber pays $2.60 to place, $2.10 to show and Nana’s Corn Muffin was worth $3.40 to show.
Stovall with Corey Lanerie aboard passes Carpis feet from the wire to win the 60th running of the Louisiana Futurity Colts and Geldings Division at Fair Grounds. Hodges Photography / Lou Hodges, Jr.
New Orleans, La (Dec. 31, 2023) – With a change of tactics and a change in riders, Clyde Moran Sr and Jeff Plotkin’s Stovall won Sunday’s $100,000 Louisiana Futurity (Boys) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. After being in the thick of the early mix in each of the juvenile’s five races, Stovall’s trainer Samuel Breaux called upon Corey Lanerie to settle the son of Half Ours early and save his run for the last two furlongs.
“We did a few adjustments and decided to come off the pace instead of going up there,” Breaux said. “There was lots of speed in there, and he stopped the other day (in the Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile), so we decided to change strategies.”
With his eyes set on the even-money favorite Carpis throughout, Stovall followed that leader through the far turn. At the top of the stretch, Lanerie showed him daylight and Stovall responded to run down Carpis, officially beating that foe by a 1/2 length. Going six furlongs, the colts & geldings division of the Futurity was run in 1:11.54.
“I looked at his form and he’s always up front battling and he always sort of stops,” Lanerie said. “I hadn’t spoken to Sam (Breaux) until I got into the paddock, and he said ‘there’s a lot of speed, maybe we got to come from behind.’ We both agreed we shouldn’t take him back but we wouldn’t send him. He put me in a great spot right behind the favorite. He’s pretty strong. He wasn’t really wanting to sit back there but he wasn’t crazy rank. When I showed him daylight, he gave me another gear and it was enough.”
Later in the card, Lanerie won the fillies division aboard Guitar Solo.
Stovall returned $22.60, $6.40, $3.80. Carpis offered $2.60, $2.40. Tdzshininluckystar paid out $4.80.
After winning his first stake in his fourth try, Stovall’s 2-year-old record tops off at 6-3-0-1 with $105,850 in earnings.
Guitar Solo Bests Freeburn in Fillies Futurity
Guitar Solo with jockey Corey Lanerie aboard wins the 57th running of the $100,000 Louisiana Futurity Filly Division at Fair Grounds. Hodges Photography / Jan Brubaker
Though she came up short on Louisiana Champions Day, Guitar Solo substantiated her monster debut effort with a dominant win in Sunday’s $100,000 Louisiana Futurity (Girls) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. With the lead and the rail, World War IV Racing’s homebred trained by Allen Landry saved every inch to beat six Louisiana-bred juvenile fillies to the wire by 2 1/4 lengths over Freeburn.
“She showed up today,” Landry said. “Last time (in the Lassie) we ran her back in just nine days. It was a little quick, but we just sort of had to.”
Being pressured throughout by Freeburn, Guitar Solo ran professionally and in tune with her jockey Corey Lanerie throughout to cover the six furlongs in 1:10.87, over a half-second faster than the winner of the Boys division earlier on the card.
“I really just had to be a good passenger and hope we got a good break and she did the rest,” Lanerie said. “(Freeburn) came up to me around the turn and I wasn’t sure, I thought it was going to be close all the way to the end. She proved to be the best horse today and got the job done.”
The Star Guitar filly could be even better covering a route of ground.
“I think once we get to stretching out she’ll be better,” Landry said.
Guitar Solo paid $6.20, $3.80, $2.80. Freeburn returned $3.40, $2.60. Platinum Minit scrambled down the center of the track to edge out Clearly a Test and pay $4.20.
Capping off her freshman year at 3-2-0-1, Guitar Solo has earned $96,800.
The race week concludes on New Year’s Day with a 9-race program. First post is 12:45 p.m. CT.
You must be logged in to post a comment.