Stonestreet Stables and Peter Leidel’s Blue Fire (Aurelius Maximus – Mystic Blue, by Maimonides) led a sweep of the top four places for OBS graduates when she wired a field of seven Louisiana-bred fillies in the $100,000 Crescent City Oaks at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots on March 22.
Trained by Steve Asmussen, Blue Fire held off the late run of Margie’s Intention by 1 1/4 lengths. Canal Street finished a close third.
Blue Fire concluded the meet with three stakes wins, along with the Louisiana Broodmare of the Year and Louisiana Champions Day Lassie.
“I’m extremely proud of her,” Asmussen told the Fair Grounds publicity team. “She’s four-for-four this meet and is just an extremely nice filly who happens to be Louisiana-bred.”
Blue Fire was purchased for $32,000 by Fast Horses out of the 2023 OBS Winter Mixed Sale from the Kaizen Sales consignment.
Blue Fire was one of nine OBS graduates to earn stakes wins the past weekend. Other stakes winners included:
March 22
Fair Grounds
Tom Benson Memorial – Robert LaPenta and Madakat Stables’ Way to Be Marie ( Not This Time – Woman of the World, by Henrythenavigator ) earned her first stakes title in the $150,000 Tom Benson Memorial at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. Trained by Rob Atras, Way to Be Marie was purchased by Madaket Stables for $95,000 out of the 2023 OBS April sale from the GOP Racing Stable consignment after breezing in :21 1/5.
Turfway Park
Latonia Stakes – Resolute Racing’s Dana’s Beauty (Not This Time – City Siren, by City Zip) drew clear late for a repeat victory in the $228,000 Latonia Stakes at Turfway Park Racing & Gaming. Trained by Mike Maker, Dana’s Beauty improved her record to 12 wins from 45 starts with career earnings of $974,603. The daughter of Not This Time is a two-time OBS graduate, sold first by Bobby Jones Equine at the 2019 October Yearling Sale then sold for $70,000 by Blue River Bloodstock, Agent to Sarah Russell Stables & TNT Equine Holdings at the 2020 Spring Sale after working in :21 3/5.
Animal Kingdom Stakes – Tom Kagele and Ernest Marchosky’s Kale’s Angel (Complexity-Love Affair, by Malibu Moon) captured the $250,000 Animal Kingdom Stakes at Turfway Park. Trained by Peter Miller, Kale’s Angel earned his fourth win from eight starts. He was purchased for $150,000 by Kagele Bros. & Peter Miller from the McKathan Bros. Sales consignment at the 2024 OBS Spring Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training after breezing in 9.4.
Laurel Park
Private Terms Stakes – RKTN Racing’s Pay Billy (Improbable – Harlington’s Rose, by Harlington ) earned his first stakes victory when he prevailed in the $100,000 Private Terms Stakes. Trained by Michael Gorham, the bay colt was purchased by RKTN Racing for $60,000 from the Scanlon Training & Sales consignment at the 2024 OBS April’s OBS Juvenile auction after breezing in :10 2/5.
Turf Paradise
Arizona Oaks – Bryon Seymore’s A Thousand Miles (Thousand Words – Swiss Army Wife, by Colonel John) cruised home a 3 ½-length winner of the $50,000 Arizona Oaks to score her first stakes win. Trained by Bart Hone, the daughter of Thousand Words was purchased for $27,000 by Dennis O’Neill out of the Pick View consignment at the 2024 OBS March sale after breezing in :10 3/5.
March 23
Gulfstream Park
Melody of Colors Stakes – Lugamo Racing Stable’s Cloe (Tiz the Law – Nuhood, by Smart Strike), put on the grass for the first time in her debut for trainer Jose D’Angelo, scored a frontrunning 1 ¾-length victory in the $115,000 Melody of Colors Stakes. The daughter of Tiz the Law was offered at the 2024 OBS March sale by de Meric Sales where she was an RNA after breezing in :9 4/5.
Fair Grounds
Page Cortez Stakes – Brittlyn Stable’s homebred Rue Lala (Star Guitar – Miss Addison, by Orientate) streaked to the front down the stretch to win the $100,000 Page Cortez Stakes, her first stakes win in 29 starts. Trained by Shane Wilson, The daughter of Star Guitar was purchased for $130,000 by B & C Horses from the Golden Rock Thoroughbreds consignment at the 2020 OBS April sale after breezing in :10 flat.
Shantel Lanerie Memorial Stakes – Naify Marsha’s Liberal Lady (Mor Spirit – Cut Class Trip, by Trippi) notched her first stakes win with a victory in the $100,000 Shantel Lanerie Memorial. Trained by Leonard Powell, Liberal Lady is a two-time OBS graduate having most recently been purchased for $95,000 by Narvick International from the Grassroots Training & Sales consignment at the 2022 OBS April sale after breezing in :10 flat.