Nitro Chip blasts through Lagniappe Classic

Emmitt Pickett's NITRO CHIP (Finest Hour) was sent off the even-money

favorite in Sunday's $105,650

Lagniappe Classic S. on the final day of the Fair Grounds at Louisiana Downs

meeting, and rewarded his many backers with a half-length win under Robby

Albarado. The Samuel Breaux trainee tracked the pacesetting Prince T. (Royal

Anthem) in the early part of the 1 1/16-mile test before taking over rounding

the final turn and pulling away to stop the teletimer in 1:46 2/5 on the sloppy

track.

Nitro Chip earned a seventh stakes win with this one, his 2006 bow, and now

owns an 18-10-2-3 line with $471,710 in lifetime earnings.

Back-to-back Louisiana Premier Night Distaff S. queen DESTINY CALLS (With

Approval) added yet another black-type to her record, taking the $104,650

Lagniappe Ladies Sprint S. by three lengths. Trained by Albert Stall Jr. and

ridden by James Graham, the six-year-old mare completed 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:05

while sporting the silks of Vickie L. Krantz.

The Sprint was billed as the five-year-old debut of Grade 1 winner Happy

Ticket (Anet), but trainer Andrew Leggio Jr. scratched the bay after the track

came up sloppy.

"I didn't want to take a chance of hurting her today," Leggio said. "She's

too valuable a horse to do that with."

Happy Ticket was scheduled to make her next start in the February 18

Louisiana Premier Night at Evangeline Downs, but that has changed according to

Leggio.

"Since we don't have this race underneath our belt, we'll have to regroup,"

he said. "I don't know what we're going to do. I'm just going to have to look

around a little bit."

While Happy Ticket missed out on her 2006 bow, Destiny Calls was more than

ready to answer the call, moving her mark to 22-13-4-2, $598,619, with Sunday's

win.

Southern Legacy Thoroughbreds LLC's GRAND FACILE (Zuppardo's Prince) scored

just her second career victory while taking the $104,850

Crescent City Oaks over seven rivals. Guided by Gerard Melancon through the 1

1/16-mile test, which was moved from the turf to the main track, the James

Hodges-conditioned chestnut was 1 1/2 lengths clear at the wire while finishing

up in 1:48.

Grand Facile ran second in the Louisiana Champions Day Lassie S. while still

a maiden, finally breaking her maiden one week ago over the track. The sophomore

now boasts a 7-2-4-0 record with $124,110 in earnings.

Brass Ring Partnership's KINGSFIELD (Ecton Park) wrapped up the stakes action

for the meet in style, dominating the $80,875

Black

Gold S. by 5 1/2 lengths under Albarado. The sophomore ran a mile and 70

yards in 1:45 3/5 for trainer Thad Keller, and shows a prior win in the Prairie

Meadows Freshman S. from last year as well as a third in the Sugar Bowl S. from

New Year's Day.

Kingsfield moved his mark to 7-3-2-1 and has now earned $97,901.