VINTON, LA. – Delta Downs hosted a pair of $100,000 stakes races for 2-year-olds on Friday night. The Jean Lafitte featured a field of nine colts and geldings while the My Trusty Cat saw the same number of young fillies go to the gate. Each event was contested over a sloppy track at seven furlongs.

The Jean Lafitte was carded as the second race on the program and provided race fans with plenty of fireworks early as Lynne M. Boutte’s Spinning Aces just edged out Awesome Ruta and Good Like Magic to win the event while making his stakes debut.

Under jockey Joel Dominguez, Spinning Aces broke well before stalking the early pace set by longshot Gone Elvis, who covered the opening quarter mile in a time of 22.95 seconds while being pressed by Good Like Magic. Nearing the half-mile mark Good Like Magic put away Gone Elvis after stopping the timer in 47.58 but then had to deal with the eventual winner. Good Like Magic and Spinning Aces ran side-by-side turning for home before Spinning Aces forged a narrow lead after going three quarters of a mile in 1:14.18.

Through the homestretch a late challenger appeared on the scene in the form of 42-1 longshot Awesome Ruta, who launched a stout rally before coming up a neck short of the winner at the finish line. Good Like Magic held the third spot another neck behind the runner-up. The final time for the race was 1:27.86.

Spinning Aces has now won two of his three career starts. He earned $60,000 for his win against open-company on Friday and now has a bankroll of $99,540.

Bred in Louisiana by Gerald L. Averett, Jr., Spinning Aces is a 2-year-old bay gelding by Hard Aces, out of the Afternoon Deelites mare Just Alex. He is conditioned by Allen Landry.

Sent to the starting gate at odds of 8-1, Spinning Aces paid $19.80 to win, $11.40 to place and $5.40 to show. Awesome Ruta was worth $34.20 to place and $11.80 to show. Good Like Magic returned $2.80 to show.

 

 

Unlike the Jean Lafitte, the My Trusty Cat turned into a runaway for Willis Horton Racing’s Tapit Jenallie, who was ridden to victory by Richard Eramia. The Eddie Milligan, Jr. trainee came from off the pace to score a decisive victory. It was her first in stakes company.

After breaking cleanly from post position two, Tapit Jenallie took back off the early pace set by Kant Resist It, who covered the opening quarter mile in 22.91 seconds and the half mile in 47.27. As the field entered the second turn Tapit Jenallie started gaining on the leader and eventually slipped through a gap at the rail to take command turning for home. She hit the three-quarter mark in a time of 1:14.13 while widening her margin through the lane.

At the finish line Tapit Jenallie was all by herself, winning the race by 5 ½ lengths over Kant Resist It, who settled for second. Noriskit Nobiscuit was no threat to the top pair, finishing another two lengths behind the runner-up. Tapit Jenallie covered seven furlongs in a time of 1:27.91.

The win by Tapit Jenallie was the second of her two-race career. She broke her maiden at Remington Park on September 30 before making her stakes debut on Friday night. The first-place prize of $60,000 raised her fledgling bankroll to $80,094.

Bred in Kentucky by her owner, Tapit Jenallie is a 2-year-old chestnut filly by Tapit, out of the War Front mare Take Charge Tressa.

Sent off as the even-money favorite, Tapit Jenallie paid $4 to win, $3 to place and $2.60 to show. Kant Resist It returned $7.60 to place and $4.60 to show. Noriskit Nobiscuit paid $2.80 to show.