2022 Louisiana Futurities
by Tom Early
Category: Louisiana Futurity
Jack Hammer wins Louisiana Futurity (colts and geldings)
Allied Racing’s homebred Jack Hammer pressed outside Z Resurrection and overcame a green stretch run to win the $100,000 Louisiana Futurity (boys) by 2 1/4 lengths. Beating a field of seven 2-year-olds, Jack Hammer notched win number 19 for trainer Brett Calhoun who has an impressive eight-win lead in the trainer standings after scoring earlier on the card with Kupuna.
Jack Hammer ran the six furlongs in 1:12.14 across a track listed as good. Rey Gutierrez piloted Jack Hammer, earning his 24th win on the meet and securing his place at the top the jockey standings.
The field broke cleanly and Jack Hammer emerged from the group, but his inside foe Z Resurrection hustled out to take the lead along the rail running the opening fractions in :22.16 and :46.37 as Jack Hammer settled to his immediate outside. With little change in position throughout the race, the two front runners remained engaged as Calicoco and King’s Lute dueled for third behind them. Jack Hammer wandered greenly but summoned a powerful kick to draw clear of Z Resurrection in the final sixteenth. King’s Lute kept the advantage over Calicoco to finish third in front of that foe.
“He’s a little better on dirt and an off track, so I was kind of hoping this (washed off the turf) would happen,” Williamson admitted. “We were tracking the weather forecast and it came out in our favor. This horse is bred for turf and he’s run well on it, but you just never really know. His last couple numbers (speed figures) on the dirt were very good.”
Jack Hammer is a son of Jimmy Creed out of the Flatter mare Lipstick Junky and was bred in Louisiana by owner Allied Racing. The two-time winner returned $3.40, $2.60 and $2.20 as the 3-5 favorite.
“They’ve got a great breeding program here in Louisiana,” Chester Thomas of Allied Racing said. “We’ve got Mr. Money standing down here at Clear Creek now. Bret (Calhoun) is off to an awfully good start at the meet. We’ve got a couple seconds that we are hopeful can turn to wins. Bret and Reylu (jockey) are on fire, we are just happy to be a part of it.”
Stiff Drink, Ranch Water, and Flash N Class completed the order of finish. Steauxlit was scratched.
Jack Hammer netted $60,000 and now boasts career earnings of $90,000 from a record of 2-2-0 in 2 starts.
“This is a nice horse,” Calhoun said. “We’ve liked him from very early on. He’s still very green and inexperienced, but we think he has a very bright future ahead of him.”
Norah G comes through as overwhelming Futurity (girls) Favorite
Tom Galvin’s homebred Norah G proved too much for the field of seven lassies in the $100,000 Louisiana Futurity. A touch slow from the gates, the up-and-coming star from Patricia West’s barn asserted herself through the turn and pulled away, but then just held safe late to win by a diminishing 3/4 length over the rail rally of the longshot maiden Everlyn’s Angel.
“I thought her break from the gate was much improved for the first two tries, so we’re moving in the right direction,” West said. “We do hope to try her at two turns in the near future.”
The debut winner earned her second victory completing the 6 furlongs over a good track in 1:14.93. Deshawn Parker was up for the score, one of two stakes wins for Parker, who also won the Woodchopper aboard Britain’s Kitten.
Longshot New Destiny, who attracted the services of Florent Geroux, vied for the early lead to set the fractions of :22.55 and :47.40. Norah G settled second to last after the slow break and had to maneuver through the forward five runners to make a sweeping move that propelled her to the lead. Everlyn’s Angel kept things interesting late rallying up the rail to secure second over New Destiny.
“Getting away from the gate went a little better,” Parker said. “She broke a step slow but not as bad as she normally does, so she’s getting better. Every time she’s raced so far she’s put herself in tight spots so I wasn’t surprised when she took me through those runners.”
Norah G is a daughter of Fast Anna out of the Malibu Moon mare Mr. G’s Moonshine and was bred in Louisiana by owner Tom Galvin. The 1-5 favorite returned $2.60, $2.10 and $2.10.
Shes a Lucky Rebel, Hopeitsmyluckyday, Star moment and Paramour completed the order of finish.
Norah G netted $60,000 and now boasts career earnings of $110,000 from a record of 2-1-0 in 3 starts.
July Calendar of Events from the LTBA
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Louisiana Futurity Nominations on the Rise
The Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association (LTBA) is pleased to announce that nominations have increased significantly for the 2024 Louisiana Futurity for two-year-old accredited Louisiana breds. Nominations begin when a mare is in foal, with additional eligibility payments made as the foal reaches racing age.
The 2022 foals out of 633 mares have been nominated to the 2024 Louisiana Futurity, up substantially from the previous year when the 2021 foals out of 543 mares were nominated to the 2023 Louisiana Futurity.
With Louisiana purses on the rise, LTBA is expecting competitive fields and a higher demand for accredited Louisiana breds.
2021 Louisiana Futurities
Bron and Brow, Free Like a Girl Win Respective Divisions of 2021 Louisiana Futurity
How High Can He Fly? Bron and Brow Shows Offensive Power Breaking His Maiden Against Stakes Company
Charco leads The Louisiana Futurity early, but proves 2nd best
New Orleans (December 31, 2021) – On the last day of his 2-year old campaign, Bron and Brow proves he has the makings of a horse on the rise. Twenty days after assistant trainer David Carroll said “He won’t be a maiden for long,” Gary Barber’s colt’s maiden win comes against stakes company in the $107,000 Louisiana Futurity over 6 furlongs on the dirt.
Second favorite 2.30-1 Charco was sent to the lead by jockey James Graham and he blitzed the opening fractions in 22.09 and 45.59 before tightly-pressing .90-1 favorite Bron and Brow drove by hitting the top of the paint in 57.77 and kept on for the score while drifting out to beat the buzzer in 1:10.85. Third favorite 2.50-1 Big Scully ran third throughout but never threatened, finishing 9 ¼ lengths back.
“He broke out a little right to be fair,” winning jockey Adam Beschizza said. “This horse is super talented and I know David [Carroll] and Mark [Casse] have believed in him since day one. We just had to overcome a little adversity there with the inquiry. He’s got a lot to learn, but he seemed to come out of that race very unexhausted so that just tells me he has a lot left in the locker there.”
Bred in Louisiana by J. Addock & Hume Wornall, after taking three shots Bron and Brow is 3-1-1-1 earning $91,820. After a third in November at Del Mar, this colt by Gormley was transferred from Peter Miller’s barn to the care of Mark Casse. Bron and Brow finished a troubled trip ½ length 2nd in the Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile Sprint. Like his namesakes, LA Lakers power-duo Lebron James and Anthony Davis, Bron and Brow has loads of talent–unlike them, he is still proving green in his races. After breaking out from the gate and bumping his neighbor, the stewards called for an inquiry, which was not acted on. Passing Charco and finishing in the stretch, he ran erratically in the stretch.
“We got the win in the end, ” assistant trainer David Carroll said. “A little worrisome there but he’s a very talented colt. I’m very happy for Mr. Barber, a great way to end the year. This horse has got a lot of talent–very unlucky in his last race when he got the bad trip but he went very fast as well. Today was a much different race. Adam rode a great race, very aware of the horse he rode last time for Mr. Asmussen [Charco] and he kept him on his target.”
Again, similar to his namesakes: he’s won his first, but can he hang another stakes banner?
“We feel there is more to come from this horse,” Carroll said. “Mark [Casse] and Mr. Barber will talk about two turns, but there is a race early next month if they wish to take advantage of it, going a mile, so maybe that will be his next race, but that’s something they will talk about–we’ll enjoy this race for now.”
The connections believe Bron and Brow can fly higher as he turns the page to his 3-year-old campaign. – Kilroy
Girls Futurity Winner Home “Free” Down the Stretch
Free Like a Girl wins her fourth stake of the season in runaway fashion
Making amends for her narrow defeat as the favorite in the Louisiana Lassie on Champions Day, Gerald Bruno, Jr., Carl Deville and Chasey Pomier’s (trainer) Free Like a Girl left no doubt as to who was best in the $109,600 Louisiana Futurity for the 2-year-old fillies.
Away alertly as the 1.30-1 favorite, the daughter of El Deal stalked the early pace of Serape (11.70-1) though fractions of 22.33 and 46.29. Cut loose by regular rider Pedro Cotto, Jr. at the top of the stretch, she quickly took command, extending her margin of victory to 6 ¼ lengths under the wire in a final time of 1:11.11 for six furlongs. Wholelottamo (14.20-1) outkicked Serape for the place spot. Half Page was scratched at the gate.
“We stuck with the plan to get her close to the pace,” Cotto, Jr. said. “When I got a chance, I put her in the clear, and she just did her thing today. I don’t think she’s even as good as she can get right now. That’s one thing that has impressed me about her. I think she’s just going to get better when she gets older.”
Sent off as the 2-1 favorite on Champions Day, Free Like a Girl was stuck in tight between horses while stalking from mid-pack. She fought on gamely to the wire, only to get swooped by a deep closing 93-1 longshot in Buckley Bunny late. On Friday, she left no doubt who was best in front of her many supporters.
“We are very grateful to have her,” trainer Chasey Deville Pomier said. “She’s been amazing for us. The breeders, all of the connections. We’ve had a great year with her for sure. My dad owns a part, my daughter is in on it, me, the other owner used to be dad’s assistant when I was young, we’ve known the breeders for a while, so yeah, it’s just a whole big ‘ole thing.”
The winner of the D. S. Shine Young Futurity at Evangeline and the Louisiana Jewel and the open company My Trusty Cat at Delta Downs in advance of the Lassie, Free Like a Girl has now won five times from 10 starts since debuting on May 8 at Lone Star. Bred by Kim Renee Stover & Lisa Osborne and purchased for just $5,500 as a yearling, she has now banked $281,473. She’s run a lot and accomplished quite a bit in less than eight months, but shows no signs of slowing down.
“Every day she trains great, we go day-to-day with her, as long as she’s training good, we keep going,” Pomier said. – Kristufek
July Calendar of Events from the LTBA
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May Calendar of Events
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2020 Louisiana Futurities
The 58th running of the Louisiana Futurities
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