By Alan Carasso
FMQ Stables' Saudi Crown (Always Dreaming) bossed his five overmatched rivals from the front to take out Saturday's GIII Louisiana S. at the Fair Grounds, a perfect lead-up into the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh in five weeks' time .
Appearing for the first time since weakening to 10th behind the Saudi Cup-bound White Abarrio (Race Day) in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic 11 weeks back, the odds-on pop won the break from gate three and set the pace into the first turn as Tenacious S. winner Five Star General (Distorted Humor) applied token pressure from the outside. The well-backed Smile Happy (Runhappy) and Red Route One (Gun Runner) raced as a team, with defending champion Happy American (Runhappy) and Confidence Game (Candy Ride {Arg}) the back markers.
Saudi Crown galloped well within himself and under an easy Florent Geroux hold through a half-mile in a very manageable :47.93 and the French reinsman upped the tempo on the 2023 GI Pennsylvania Derby winner leaving the three-eighths marker. Firmly in front as they hit the long Fair Grounds stretch, Saudi Crown was shaken up a bit at the furlong grounds, but was taken in hand for the final 70 yards, strutting in a convincing winner. Red Route One rallied inside to beat Happy American out of second.
Winner of his first two starts over sprint trips, Saudi Crown was just touched off by Fort Bragg (Tapit) in the GIII Dwyer S. going Belmont's one-turn mile July 1 and took a similarly tough beat when just caught by Forte (Violence) trying a two-turn route for the first time in the July 29 GII Jim Dandy S. Never truly threatened in the slop at Parx Sept. 23, Saudi Crown was part of a strong early tempo in the Classic and faded from about halfway to finish better than 12 lengths off White Abarrio.
And now it is off to the Middle East, where Team Cox will be looking for Saudi Crown to atone for subpar big-race efforts from Knicks Go in 2021 and 2022 Louisiana S. winner Mandaloun.
Pedigree Notes:
One of three black-type winners for his Kentucky Derby-winning sire and the lone graded scorer, Saudi Crown is out of a daughter of Grade III turf winner New Economy who was sold to China Horse Club for $500,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale. But, after failing to make the races and having produced only a minor winner from her first two foals, New Narration was sold on to Harry Landry for $17,000 in foal to Yoshida (Jpn) at Keeneland November in 2021.
Saudi Crown's run of success last season ensured that New Narration would be a hot commodity at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale last fall, and so it proved, as she was knocked down to Summer Wind Equine for $850,000 while in foal to Nashville.
#3 Saudi Crowns wins the Louisiana S. easy in his $-year-old debut for trainer @bradcoxracing with @flothejock in the saddle! 👑
Five wins today for Flo!
🎥 #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/3gzTs9Gqth
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) January 20, 2024
LOUISIANA S. PRESENTED BY RELYNE GI BY HAGYARD-GIII, $169,750, Fair Grounds, 1-20, 4yo/up, 1 1/16m, 1:43.20, ft.
1–SAUDI CROWN, 124, c, 4, by Always Dreaming
1st Dam: New Narration, by Tapit
2nd Dam: New Normal, by Forestry
3rd Dam: New Economy, by Red Ransom
($45,000 Ylg '21 KEEJAN; $240,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR). O-FMQ
Stables; B-Chc Inc. (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Florent Geroux.
$105,000. Lifetime Record: GISW, 7-4-2-0, $982,085. Werk
Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Red Route One, 118, c, 4, Gun Runner–Red House, by Tapit.
O/B-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen.
$35,000.
3–Happy American, 118, g, 6, Runhappy–Queen of America, by
Quiet American. ($385,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-Lothenbach
Stables, Inc. (Jack Lothenbach); B-Claiborne Farm (KY); T-Neil L.
Pessin. $17,500.
Margins: 5 3/4, HF, 1 1/4. Odds: 0.70, 4.30, 23.50.
Also Ran: Five Star General, Confidence Game, Smile Happy. Scratched: Kupuna.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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