Saudi Crown the King of Louisiana; Road to the Derby Day Undercard Recaps

By Kevin Kilroy —-
Saudi Crown; Hodges Photography
Saudi Crown the King of Louisiana

New Orleans, La (Jan. 20, 2024) – Making his first start since finishing 10th in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) at Santa Anita on Nov. 4, FMQ Stables’ Saudi Crown dominated a field of five overmatched foes in Saturday’s $175,000 Louisiana Stakes (G3) presented by Relyne GI by Hagyard for trainer Brad Cox. Traveling the 1 1/16 miles across Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots’ main track in 1:43.20, the Always Dreaming colt won by 5 3/4 lengths.

“Big run. Proud of him,” Cox said. “Obviously this was a setup for Saudi. We’re hoping he’ll take one turn, he showed ability around one-turn early in his career, and we’re excited to take him to Riyadh. It worked out that he was able to gallop in. Hopefully he can build off this and we can have him even better the third week in February.”

Saudi Crown’s connections are pointing the Louisiana Stakes winner to the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1) on Feb. 24.

Away alertly from post 3 with Florent Geroux in tow, the newly turned 4-year-old established a clear, early advantage without having to work, posting opening fractions of 24.14 and 47.93. Tenacious upsetter Five Star General was content to sit second, while Red Route One on the inside and Smile Happy, who had to be blindfolded in order to go into the starting gate, chased from third and fourth. Uncontested throughout, Saudi Crown pulled away upon command in the upper stretch and was soon geared down with a sixteenth to go. Finishing strongly behind him, Red Route One got up for second while last year’s Louisiana winner Happy American came in 1/2 length behind in third. Five Star General filled in the superfecta.

“That was very impressive,” Geroux said. “I thought he was very steady all the way, and geared down at the end. It was a very nice move, exactly what we wanted and what we needed to go to Riyadh next month. Hopefully the horse comes back in good order so we can move forward, so we can try to represent America nicely.”

With Saudi Crown’s Louisiana victory, Cox totaled four wins on the day while Geroux racked up five.

The lightly-raced 4-year-old Pennsylvania Derby winner now boasts a 7-4-2-0 record as he nears millionaire status with $982,085 in earnings.

Saudi Crown bestowed $3.40, $2.40, $2.10 on his faithful subjects. Red Route One paid $3.20, $2.80. Happy American offered $4.80.

Additional Quote

Ken McPeek, trainer of Smile Happy

“He (Smile Happy) just got tired. He’s hard to train. I’m just happy to get him back started. He’ll get a lot out of that.”

1/20/2024 – Sosua Summer (left) with Luis Saez aboard gets a nose in front of Just Might to win the 71st running of the $100,000 Duncan F. Kenner Stakes at Fair Grounds. Hodges Photography / Amanda Hodges Weir

So Close as Sosua Summer Survives Kenner Photo

Wachtel Stable, Barber, Gary and R.T Racing Stable’s Sosua Summer showed off his heart and proved his class running down the loose 3-5 leader Just Might to win his first stake in the $100,000 Duncan F. Kenner Memorial at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots on Saturday. The first of six stakes on Saturday’s “Road to the Derby Day,” the Kenner came down to a photo finish as the winner trained by Bill Mott completed the 5 1/2 furlongs across the firm turf course with the portable rails down in 1:02.29.

Drawn on the rail and the only entry of the five to have proven gate speed, Just Might got the jump and led the pack through :22:46 and :44.90 opening calls. Under jockey Luis Saez, Sosua Summer stalked in second and waited until the top of the stretch to begin encroaching upon the leader. As Just Might neared the finish line, Sosua Summer kicked in to have the momentum, surge for the lead at the perfect time, and survive the photo decision. Minnesota Ready passed Swift as I Am in the stretch to maintain third over that rival. Evan Sing hung in back throughout.

“We didn’t want to get too far back early,” Saez said. “I knew in the last jump we’d have a chance to beat him, but the other horse kept finding. When we got to (Just Might) he took off again. The other horse was pretty game so it was not easy to get by him.”

Sosua Summer returned $6.00, $3.20, $2.10. Just Might paid $2.60, $2.10. Minnesota Ready rewarded $2.20.

With the 5-year-old’s three previous wins coming at Saratoga, the son of Summer Front now sports a 21-4-4-5 lifetime earnings, banking $386,098 for the efforts.

1/20/2024 – Crerative Cairo with Florent Geroux aboard wins the $100,000 Marie Krantz Memorial Stakes at Fair Grounds. Hodges Photography / Lou Hodges, Jr.

Krantz Coronation Goes to Creative Cairo

After getting nosed out of a first stakes score in the Blushing KD, Brereton C. Jones’ homebred Creative Cairo left nothing to chance next out, taking the lead at the sixteenth pole and driving clear to win the $100,000 Marie G. Krantz Memorial by 1 1/2 lengths. Winning her first stakes, Creative Cairo covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.55 across the turf course rated “firm” at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.

Trained by Lindsay Schultz and piloted by Florent Geroux, the 6-year-old mare by Cairo Prince was sent off at 5-1. Her first stakes victory came at the expense of Join the Dance gamely out finished the public’s top choice Lovely Princess by a neck. Tufani finished fourth.

“She’s a nice older mare that keeps getting better and better with each run,” Schultz said. “She loves going one mile and one-half but she can get one mile one-sixteenth. Flo was able to let her run and not get her stopped.”

Creative Cairo rewarded her faithful with $13.20, $6.20, $3.80. Join the Dance offered $11.80, $4.60. Lovely Princess paid $2.80.

With her two previous wins coming in Christophe Clement’s barn, the Krantz score with Schultz put Creative Cairo at 18-3-3-3 lifetime resulting in $256,651 total earnings.

1-20– Strong Quality geys a nose in front of Beat Box to win the 38th running of the Colonel E.R. Bradley Stakes. Hodges Photography / Amanda Hodges Weir

Bradley Winner Strong Quality Quick to the Lead and Game Through the Wire

Gary Barber and Kinsman Stable’s Strong Quality established a commanding lead and outgamed Beatbox through the wire to take the $100,000 Colonel E.R. Bradley on Saturday at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. Fighting off the late effort from Beatbox to win by a neck, Strong Quality handed the Cherie DeVaux trainee his third consecutive place-finish.

Trained by Mark Casse and with Florent Geroux aboard, the 5-year-old horse stopped the clock in 1:42.05 to secure his first stakes victory.

“He’s one of our favorite horses in the barn,” assistant trainer on the grounds to Casse, David Carroll said. “He wears his heart on his sleeve. What a great ride by Florent (Geroux). He came in the paddock very positive about how he was going to ride him, not turning it into a sprint, and then carrying Joel (on Beatbox) out a little helped as well. It was a great race, and we were very happy to come out on top. For the Steinbrenners and Mr. Barber it was a great victory.”

Extending his long stride, Strong Quality made the lead by the first call in :24.33 and was able to slow up the pace to check in at :49.13 through a half-mile. Stalking patiently along the inside, Beatbox made his move with a furlong to go. Dueling home, Strong Quality earned the Bradley win by digging in triumphantly over Beatbox. Rising Empire finished a distant third, six lengths behind. Duke of Carthania rounded out the superfecta.

“I know him very well, riding him over different surfaces and different tracks,” Geroux said. “He’s a horse whose best weapon is his stride. He can cover a lot of ground very easily. I didn’t want to wait too long for them to make the first move on me. I wanted to try to get away as soon as I could. Let them chase me instead of the other way around.”

Strong Quality returned $3.80, $2.60, $2.10. Beatbox paid $2.60, $2.20. Rising Empire proffered $3.00.

Proven across turf and dirt, Strong Quality has accrued $473,545 in career earnings while tallying a 16-5-4-3 record.

-30-