Archarcharch, Due Date post wins on Santa Super Saturday card at Fair Grounds

Archarcharch, Due Date post wins on Santa Super Saturday

card at Fair Grounds

Jockey Jon Court asked for run upon

entering the stretch, and Archarcharch began to wear down his rival. Joe

Hollywood dug in gamely along the rail when initially confronted, but he could

not withstand his challenger in the final sixteenth of a mile. Archarcharch

carried his momentum to a 1 3/4-length win, clocking six furlongs over the fast

track in 1:10 2/5.

"I knew I had to stay close today because of the small field," Court said of

his ride aboard Archarcharch, who is trained by his father-in-law. "I looked

over and saw Robby (Albarado, aboard Joe Hollywood) next to me and I could tell

he had something left in the tank."

The even-money second favorite yielded payouts of $4 and $2.40. Joe Hollywood

wound up 5 3/4 lengths clear of B G Suavecito (Suave), and Hydro Power

(Aptitude) trailed.

"I think people probably thought we were a little bit silly bringing a maiden

down here to run against winners," Fires said, "But we've always been pretty

high on this horse. All of his works have been above-average so we thought we

had a nice colt. The owner turned down a lot of money for him because we did

think so."

Jinks was asked about future plans.

"We plan on going in the Smarty Jones (at Oaklawn Park on January 17) first

and hopefully if that works out well we'll continue on.

"He's bred to go that way -- long -- but he has enough natural speed that we

thought sprinting would be good rather than, if we had to, going into the Smarty

Jones at a mile," Jinks added

Archarcharch, who has now earned $47,744, owns the pedigree for longer

distances. He's out of the Grade 2-placed Woodman's Dancer (Woodman), and second

dam Pattern Step (Nureyev) captured the 1988 Hollywood Oaks (G1).

Due Date took the overland route into the stretch, racing not far from the

outside rail as he motored home, and struck the front inside the sixteenth pole. He drew clear

late to win in 1:04 1/5.

"We got in a one-two punch today," said Margolis, who saddled his first Fair

Grounds winner two years ago on this same date and has quickly become one of the

top stakes trainers of the Crescent City oval's winter racing season. "Due Date

had an unlucky trip last time, but he has really come into his own lately, and

he's getting better as a five-year-old going on to his six-year-old season."

"I know my horse perfectly," Farina said. "There was a lot of pace in the

race. I take my time with him and that is what I did and he won."

The gray totaled $7.40, $6.40 and $4.20 with Early Return, who got up by a

neck for second over the 6-1 Backtalk (Smarty Jones). It was another head back

to Goldzar (Cozar), who came from the well off the pace as the 62-1 longest

shot, and Central City, Royal Express (Royal Academy), Cool Bullet (Red Bullet),

Grand Traverse (Pioneering), Major Rules (Peace Rules) and Western Smoke were

next under the wire. Why Not Be Perfect (Whywhywhy) was scratched.

Due Date notched his first stakes win in the Kentucky Cup Dash three starts

previously and finished a close third in the Woodford S. (G3) prior to his

Breeders' Cup effort. The Kentucky-bred also placed in the Jaipur S. (G3) and

Troy S. last year, and he's now bankrolled $240,788 from a 29-7-1-4 scorecard.

Heiligbrodt Racing Stable's FASTATION (Valid Expectations) recorded her fifth

straight stakes win when rallying to a smart 3 1/2-length tally in the

$58,200

Letellier Memorial S. for two-year-old fillies. Trained by Steve Asmussen

and ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan, the Texas-bred miss has recorded a pair of

stakes scores over restricted rivals and added the six-furlong Letellier

Memorial to open victories in the Permian Basin S. at Zia Park and the Mountaineer Juvenile Fillies. She

completed six furlongs in 1:11.

Fastation dropped nearly 10 lengths off a quick opening quarter-mile in :21

4/5 by Big Sweets (American Champ). She advanced into a threatening position

after a half-mile in :45 3/5, and Bridgmohan guided the dark bay filly to the

outside leaving the far turn. She accelerated rapidly into the stretch, reaching

the five-furlong point in :58 1/5 with a one-length advantage, and continued to

draw off in the final furlong.

"She's an honest filly," Bridgmohan explained. "I let her do her thing. She

just does what you want."

Fastation, who opened her racing career with three straight runner-ups at

Lone Star Park, has now earned $259,768 from her 8-5-3-0 line. She returned

$4.80, $2.80 and $2.10 as the 7-5 favorite in Saturday's six-horse field and was

followed by Fiscal Policy (Wildcat Heir), Street Storm (Stormy Atlantic),

Dimanche Pouliche (Sunday Break [Jpn), Big Sweets and Unbridled Praise

(Songandaprayer).

"We'd been looking for a good spot for her," owner Ron McCauley said. "She

won three of her first four races and we felt it was time to move on up to

stakes races. She's proven herself over Poly, over grass and over synthetic. We

actually had her entered at Tampa last weekend in a grass race, but she didn't

draw in and our next choice was here. I'm real glad it worked out this way."

A 21-1 upset winner of the Hanshin Cup S. (G3) two starts previously, Jim

Tafel's homebred COUNTRY FLAVOR (Empire Maker) proved all doubters wrong again

in the $58,800

Tenacious H., closing strongly to win to win by a neck as a 11-1 outsider.

Jockey Shane Sellers recorded his second straight win in the 1 1/16-mile event,

following up on the success of Good and Lucky (Wild Rush) in 2009, providing a

well-timed ride to get up in the final strides aboard the four-year-old gelding.

The Greg Geier trainee stopped the teletimer in 1:44 3/5.

Smarten Destiny (Smart Strike) set an early pace in :24 and :48 as Country

Flavor rated in midpack during the early stages. Z Humor (Distorted Humor) was

up close tracking the pacesetter and surged to the lead approaching the

conclusion of the far turn, passing the three-quarters pole in 1:13. Country

Flavor saved ground along the rail through the final bend and was guided to the

outside for the stretch run.

Z Humor shook off a stiff challenge from Recapturetheglory (Cherokee Run) in

midstretch, but he could not withstand the oncoming Country Flavor, who

determinedly got up in the final strides.

"It was a tough race but it set up good for him," Sellers explained. "I was

able to tuck in and save ground. I thought if we had some running room we would

be fine. You always want to be confident. We thought he was capable of running

this kind of race."

The Kentucky-bred entered the Tenacious off a 105-day layoff, posting a fifth

in the September 4 Washington Park H. (G3) most recently, and improved his

ledger to 15-5-1-2, $179,890. He paid $24.40, $8 and $4.20. Z Humor, the 9-2

third choice among seven runners, wound up 1 3/4 lengths clear of the 5-2

Dubious Miss (E Dubai) in third. Recapturetheglory, Atoned (Repent), Smarten

Destiny and 3-2 favorite Mad Flatter (Flatter) rounded out the order of finish.

"When we got here from Chicago he was sick; that's why he didn't work in

November," Geier stated. "He started training good. He likes this racetrack, so

we said, 'Lets give it a try.'"