Tigertail Ranch's homebred 3-year-old Mobile Bay tops a competitive renewal of the $150,000 Louisiana Champions Day Classic on Dec. 12 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.
The Classic goes as race 10 on a 13-race Saturday card and is contested at 1 1/8 miles on the main track for 3-year-old and up accredited Louisiana-breds.
Trained by Victor Arceneaux, Mobile Bay has won four stakes, including the $400,000 Super Derby (gr. II) at Louisiana Downs, in his last six starts. He is coming in off a victory in the $210,000 Zia Park Derby at its namesake course on Nov. 25. Hall of Fame jockey Edgar Prado, who has been aboard for his last three starts and two biggest wins, returns in the saddle.
A son of Lone Star Special who was unraced at 2, Mobile Bay has won six of 12 starts, with five placings, and earnings of $584,290.
Mobile Bay's stiffest challenge could from Melissa Cantacuzene's The Pickett Factor, who was in the Super Derby after defeating Mobile Bay in the $100,000 Super Derby Prelude Stakes at Louisiana Downs on Aug. 8. The Ralph Irwin trainee prepped for Champions Day and his third clash with Mobile Bay with a runaway 5 3/4-length gate-to-wire tally in the $100,000 Delta Gold Cup.
Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey's One King's Man, runner-up in last year's Classic in his second start for trainer Joe Sharp after being claimed for $40,000, will be making his second start off a six-month layoff. Off the board in two graded stakes attempts this year, he was an impressive winner of the $200,000 Louisiana Premier Night Championship on Feb. 7 at Delta Downs and has a 12-4-3-1 record over the Fair Grounds main track. One King's Man has also been cross-entered in the $100,000 Turf and will be ridden by Miguel Mena from post four. He has been entered with front-running stablemate Know You Now, who will likely be on the lead as a rabbit.
Jorge Gomez-owned and -trained stakes winner Udoknowjack, a four-time Fair Grounds winner during the 2014-15 meet, and Stormdriver are also contenders.
The remainder of the Louisiana Champions Day Classic field is comprised of Social Misfit, Hot Zapper, and Just Stormin.
The Classic is one of eight Thoroughbred stakes on the card that also includes three stakes for Quarter Horses.
Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Saturday, December 12, 2015, Race 4 Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Saturday, December 12, 2015, Race 5 Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Saturday, December 12, 2015, Race 6 Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Saturday, December 12, 2015, Race 8 Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Saturday, December 12, 2015, Race 9 Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Saturday, December 12, 2015, Race 10 Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Saturday, December 12, 2015, Race 11 Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Saturday, December 12, 2015, Race 12Entries: Louisiana Champions Day Ladies S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Discreetly Grand (LA) Francisco C. Torres 115 Morris G. Nicks 8/1 2 2Indian Wind (LA) Kerwin D. Clark 118 Chadwick J. Mouton 8/1 3 3Pacific Pink (LA) Robby Albarado 119 Edward J. Johnston 8/5 4 4Heatseeker Sharon (LA) Colby J. Hernandez 118 Frank Leggio 5/2 5 5Aliana (LA) Patrick A. Valenzuela 118 Morris G. Nicks 3/1 6 6Private Promise (LA) Donnie J. Meche 115 C. Blaine Williams 12/1
Entries: Louisiana Champions Day Starter H.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Hero Force (LA) Roberto Morales 117 Donald W. Moran, Sr. 9/2 2 2Deep Bottom (LA) Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. 122 Keith G. Bourgeois 2/1 3 3Chad Be Glad (LA) Richard E. Eramia 118 Ron Faucheux 6/1 4 4Watch My Smoke (LA) Colby J. Hernandez 121 Keith G. Bourgeois 3/1 5 5Social Prize (LA) Robby Albarado 113 Edward J. Johnston 6/1 6 6Populist Politics (LA) Jose Valdivia, Jr. 116 Joseph C Fontenot, Jr 12/1 7 7Intheblinkofaneye (LA) Leandro R. Goncalves 114 Trace Richards 12/1 8 8Grand Honor (LA) Miguel Mena 112 Sherman Savoie 30/1
Entries: Louisiana Champions Day Turf S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1String King (LA) Richard E. Eramia 124 Charles Craig Smith 8/5 2 2Well's Gold (LA) Colby J. Hernandez 118 F. Dewaine Loy 6/1 3 3Know You Now (LA) Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. 118 Joe Sharp 15/1 4 4Gallery (LA) Mitchell Murrill 119 Michael Dini 6/1 5 5One King's Man (LA) Emmanuel Esquivel 118 Joe Sharp 6/1 6 6McGehee's Mercy (LA) Robby Albarado 122 Trace Richards 15/1 7 7Four Leaf Chief (LA) Gerard Melancon 115 Steven B. Flint 12/1 8 8Benwill (LA) Marcelino Pedroza 118 Jose R. Mendez 12/1 9 9Hopeful Notion (LA) Miguel Mena 118 Edward J. Johnston 6/1 10 10Hot Zapper (LA) Jose Riquelme 118 Andrew Leggio, Jr. 12/1
Entries: Louisiana Champions Day Lassie S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Aunt Nellie (LA) Roberto Morales 122 Floyd D. Pitzer 12/1 2 2Flying Tinkerbell (LA) Jose Valdivia, Jr. 117 Ray E. Tracy, Jr. 15/1 3 3Cajun Conoseir (LA) Gerard Melancon 122 Steven B. Flint 7/2 4 4Conquest Tiz One (LA) Mitchell Murrill 117 Michael Stidham 5/1 5 5Ms Runcat (LA) Emanuel Nieves 122 Steven B. Flint 8/1 6 6Mis Isla (LA) Shaun Bridgmohan 122 Steven M. Asmussen 8/1 7 7Hand Me the Cash (LA) Dusty Ryder Shepherd 122 Scott Gelner 12/1 8 8Rita's Fifty Seven (LA) E. M. Murray 117 Joe O. Duhon 20/1 9 9M. B.'s Vow (LA) Patrick A. Valenzuela 122 Henry B. Johnson, Jr. 20/1 10 10Lady Lutie (LA) Donnie J. Meche 117 Enis Mouton 30/1 11 11Oh Dear Lord (LA) Miguel Mena 122 Scotty McNair 8/1 12 12Smittys Cougar (LA) Colby J. Hernandez 122 Ron Faucheux 9/2 13 13Kohen's Top Cat (LA) Francisco C. Torres 122 Patricia G. West 12/1
Entries: Louisiana Champions Day Sprint S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Heitai (LA) Leandro R. Goncalves 122 Thomas M. Amoss 7/5 2 2Too Dim (LA) Miguel Mena 118 Edward J. Johnston 6/1 3 3Sir Genghis (LA) Jamie Theriot 118 W. Bret Calhoun 8/1 4 4Unitas (LA) Colby J. Hernandez 118 Karl Broberg 15/1 5 5Louisiana Flyboy (LA) Richard E. Eramia 118 Patrick Mouton 8/1 6 6Top Cat Boogie (LA) E. M. Murray 118 Brent Toups 8/1 7 7Jockamo's Song (LA) Mitchell Murrill 116 Michael Stidham 10/1 8 8King Bandit (LA) Kirk Paul LeBlanc 118 Peter L. Orlando 12/1 9 9Cajun Silver (LA) Roberto Morales 118 Karl Broberg 12/1 10 10Skip the Pinot (LA) Patrick A. Valenzuela 118 Andrew Leggio, Jr. 8/1
Entries: Louisiana Champions Day Classic S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Udoknowjack (LA) Jocelyne C. Gomez 118 Jorge Gomez 12/1 2 2Social Misfit (LA) Jamie Theriot 118 Frank Leggio 12/1 3 3Stormdriver (LA) Richard E. Eramia 124 Patrick Devereux, Jr. 6/1 4 4One King's Man (LA) Miguel Mena 124 Joe Sharp 9/2 5 5The Pickett Factor (LA) Luis S. Quinonez 121 Ralph R. Irwin 2/1 6 6Hot Zapper (LA) Jose Riquelme 118 Andrew Leggio, Jr. 15/1 7 7Know You Now (LA) Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. 118 Joe Sharp 30/1 8 8Just Stormin (LA) Francisco C. Torres 115 Glenn Delahoussaye 20/1 9 9Mobile Bay (LA) Edgar S. Prado 121 Victor Arceneaux 9/5
Entries: Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Biblical Strength (LA) Mitchell Murrill 117 Jason H. Meaux 20/1 2 2Mageez (LA) Patrick A. Valenzuela 122 Ronda Hutchinson 8/1 3 3Chattanoogan (LA) Edgar S. Prado 122 Danny Pish 15/1 4 4Sea Vow (LA) Alexander Castillo 122 Joseph M. Foster 5/1 5 5Masterly (LA) Colby J. Hernandez 122 Ricky Courville 20/1 6 6Zackarooney (LA) Shaun Bridgmohan 122 Ricky Courville 15/1 7 7David's Approval (LA) Francisco C. Torres 122 Andrew Leggio, Jr. 8/1 8 8Our Rapidash (LA) Robby Albarado 122 Glenn Delahoussaye 8/1 9 9Este Es (LA) Jose Valdivia, Jr. 122 Armando De la cerda 10/1 10 10John's Luck (LA) Leandro R. Goncalves 122 Eric L. Heitzmann 8/1 11 11G's Josh (LA) Roberto Morales 122 W. Bret Calhoun 9/2 12 12Bayou Banker (LA) Miguel Mena 122 Dallas Stewart 8/1 13 13Icy Gentleman (LA) Richard E. Eramia 122 Henry B. Johnson, Jr. 15/1 14 14Krafty Boy (LA) Kerwin D. Clark 122 Jeffrey D. Thornbury 15/1 15 15Cajun Colonel (LA) Mitchell Murrill 117 Michael Dini 30/1
Entries: Louisiana Champions Day Ladies Sprint S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Snappy Girl (LA) Luis S. Quinonez 118 Karl Broberg 5/1 2 2Wind Chill Factor (LA) Denny Velazquez 116 Gary M. Scherer 6/1 3 3Lady Grantham (LA) Gerard Melancon 118 Brett A. Brinkman 5/1 4 4Another Pinot (LA) Jamie Theriot 120 Andrew Leggio, Jr. 8/1 5 5Debbie Ann (LA) Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. 118 Sturges J. Ducoing 12/1 6 6Fancy Madelyn (LA) Roberto Morales 120 Harvey Lourd, III 9/2 7 7Alivia's Lion (LA) Mitchell Murrill 118 Frank Leggio 12/1 8 8Teelfa (LA) Patrick A. Valenzuela 118 Morris G. Nicks 20/1 9 9Vivian Da Bling (LA) Colby J. Hernandez 116 W. Bret Calhoun 6/1 10 10Cajun Maid (LA) Miguel Mena 118 Thomas M. Amoss 10/1 11 11Jackson's G G (LA) Richard E. Eramia 116 Henry B. Johnson, Jr. 20/1 12 12Platinum Lady (LA) Robby Albarado 118 Eric L. Heitzmann 15/1
