Battle Plan (inside) ran down his rivals in the New Orleans (Lynn Roberts/Hodges Photography)

Blessed with the genes to be a champion, Overbrook Farm's homebred BATTLE PLAN (Empire Maker) demonstrated why he might yet become one when taking Saturday's $300,000 New Orleans H. (G2) in his stakes debut at Fair Grounds. The five-year-old Todd Pletcher trainee raced four-wide into the first turn, but quickly assumed command before entering the backstretch and was never headed thereafter en route to a 1 1/2-length score under Javier Castellano. Though inexperienced against stakes foes, bettors were not fooled by the son of classic winner Empire Maker, making him the 8-5 favorite off a devastating scores in his last three starts at Gulfstream. The favorite returned $5.20, $3.40 and $2.60.

Battle Plan was a length behind outsider Big Polk a Dot (Tapit) after a quarter-mile in :23 3/5, but rattled off the remaining fractions of :47, 1:11 3/5, and the final time of 1:49 1/5 for nine furlongs on the fast track. Rallying for second, again, was Grade 1 winner General Quarters (Sky Mesa), who has made a career of taking silver having occupied the same slot in his previous three attempts during the Fair Grounds winter meet. Also the runner-up in the Mineshaft H. (G3) and Louisiana H., General Quarters settled for the place at 5-1 after a mid-stretch bid proved unsuccessful. He gave back $5.60 and $4 while completing the $25.60 exacta. Third at 6-1 was Awesome Gem (Awesome Again), the Hawthorne Gold Cup (G2) winner who finished 2 1/2 lengths behind the runner-up and paid $4. The trifecta was worth $137. A half-length farther back was Louisiana-bred ace Star Guitar (Quiet American), who completed the 9-10-3-7 superfecta worth $639.80.