BELIEVE IN BERTIE AND STALLION HEIRESS DOMINATE STAKES

By Michael Adolphson —-

NEW ORLEANS (March 11, 2017) – Richard and Bertram Klein’s Brad Cox-trained Believe in Bertie ($2.20, $2.10 and $2.10) spread her gospel once again to the tune of an open-length, dominating performance on Saturday afternoon in the $60,000 Red Camelia Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. The 4-year-old broke well from post two in the six-filly and mare field and relaxed before opening up a pair of lengths down the backside through fractions of 25.30 and 50.30. The field drew within a length as she turned for home after six furlongs in 1:15.60, but the speed machine left little doubt for her following, as she waltzed home a 6¾-length winner under Shaun Bridgmohan in a final time of 1:38.53 for the mile. Brittlyn Stable’s Ron Faucheux-trained Safari Calamari ($10.40 and $5.60) rallied for the place two lengths to the good of Keith Plaisance’s Eddie Johnston-trained Pacific Pink ($2.80). Believe in Bertie earned her sixth victory from 11 starts, her fourth stakes tally and used the $36,000 winner’s portion to increase her career bankroll $334,882. She will likely now be pointed to graded stakes company, according to her conditioner.

“Brad Cox has done a great job with her and she’s blossomed into a wonderful filly,” Bridgmohan said. “I was able to rate her and I just tapped her on the shoulder turning for home. She makes my job look easy.”

Discreetly Grand, Flowersforlady and Calamity Jane rounded out the field. Forest Lake, Gee Whiz Lil and Inveniam Viam scratched.

Two races earlier in the card, open sophomore turf fillies squared off in the $50,000 Allen ‘Black Cat’ LaCombe Memorial over 1 1/16-miles, and Stallionaire Enterprises’ Mike Stidham-trained Stallion Heiress ($2.40 and $2.10) kept the drama to a minimum with a gate-to-wire and professional 3½-length victory. The daughter of Exchange Rate improved to a perfect 3-for-3 in her career – all at the New Orleans oval – when slicing through fractions of 24.47, 49.37, 1:14.31 and finishing up in 1:44.73 with Mitchell Murrill aboard. Rupp Racing Wentworth Brochu’s Pure Michigan ($2.40) rallied for second for trainer Brad Cox, three-quarters of a length ahead of owner-trainer Hugh Robertson’s Hotshot Anna. There was no show wagering in the four-horse field completed by Song of Spring.

“She does everything perfectly,” Murrill said. “She’s starting to mature more and more. Down the backside, she settled more than last time and when it came to running, she got the job done.”

“There are a lot of options all spring and summer on the grass for 3-year-old fillies,” Stidham added. “We’ll be looking at Keeneland and other places, as well.”

Stallionaire principal Rick Kanter was on hand for the victory. “It feels great,” he said. “We have a really great team. The feeling is so good, I want to keep doing it.”

The Ontario-bred earned $32,500 to increase her career bankroll to $85,990 in what was her second stakes win.

Gris Gris, Rum Go and Stonetacular scratched.