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Stonehouse surprises in Mineshaft

Stonehouse edges away from General Quarters to earn his biggest career victory  (Lynn Roberts/Hodges Photography) Richard Rudolph and Michael Vranich's STONEHOUSE (Chester House) registered an upset in Saturday's $96,000 Mineshaft H. (G3) at Fair Grounds, rallying three wide past Friesan Fire (A.P. Indy) and General Quarters (Sky Mesa) in midstretch to win as the near 17-1 longest shot among five rivals. Pacesetter Friesan Fire threw in the towel after being displaced, but General Quarters battled the unlikely hero before falling a neck short. Trained by Joseph Broussard, Stonehouse recorded his first graded victory and sixth overall stakes success. He rated in third as Friesan Fire established early splits in :24 3/5, :48 1/5 and 1:12 with General Quarters in close attendance to his inside. The six-year-old horse surged to a head advantage through a mile in 1:37 2/5 and inched away late, finishing up 1 1/16 miles in 1:44 with Miguel Mena.

Fifth in the Tenacious H. in his previous outing, Stonehouse returned $35.60, $9.20 and $27.60. General Quarters, the 5-2 second choice, totaled $3.60 and $8.40. It was 1 3/4 lengths back to the late-running Giant Oak (Giant's Causeway), who paid $13.60 at 9-2. Friesan Fire, the 3-5 favorite, generated the whopping show payouts when weakening to fourth, 3 3/4 lengths back of Giant Oaks, and Good and Lucky (Wild Rush) trailed under the wire. Country Flavor (Empire Maker) was withdrawn.

Bred in Illinois by Rudolph, Stonehouse notched his first stakes victory in the 2008 Buck's Boy H. for state-breds. Last year, he captured the Fifth Season S. at Oaklawn Park, Gulf Coast Classic at Delta Downs and the Prairie Meadows H. as well as the restricted Milwaukee Avenue H. at Hawthorne. He's now earned $612,522 from a 38-10-10-1 ledger. Out of the Regal Embrace mare Jenny D., the bay counts as half-siblings stakes queens Bragadocious (Salem Drive) and Cashmere Miss (Kokand); the juvenile filly Forever Jenny (Sir Shackleton); and a 2009 colt by Sky Mesa.

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