Return trip to Dubai on tap for Hit Show after Mineshaft win

Hit Show successfully tuned up for his rematch with champion Forever Young in the $12 million Dubai World Cup (G1) by grinding out a narrow victory in the $250,000 Mineshaft (G3) at Fair Grounds on Saturday.

Favored at 11-10 in the field of six, Hit Show needed the length of the Fair Grounds stretch to outfinish Louisiana (G3) winner Accelerize by a head under Florent Geroux. It was three parts of a length back to Time to Win.

Hit Show's Mineshaft score came hours after Forever Young successfully defended his title in the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1). For both horses it's now on to Meydan, where Hit Show turned in a massive upset over Forever Young in last year's World Cup.

Hit Show finished up the 1 1/16-mile, fast-track journey of the Mineshaft in 1:42.49. He paid $4.20.

The Mineshaft was the ninth career stakes win for the son of Candy Ride, who is owned by Wathnan Racing and is trained by Brad Cox.

The consistent Lagynos was a decisive winner of the $175,000 Fair Grounds (G3) by 2 1/4 lengths under Jose Ortiz.

Within two lengths of the lead throughout the nine-furlong, firm-turf journey, Lagynos bid in upper stretch and opened up late to register the fourth stakes win of his career. Montador finished second, a half-length ahead of Kupuna, who had beaten Lagynos in last month's Colonel E.R. Bradley S.

Owned by Prince Sultan bin Minshal Al Saud and trained by Steve Asmussen, Lagynos paid $9.40 after completing the course in 1:48.02. The five-year-old son of Kantharos has won or placed in 11 of his last 12 starts, and is 6-for-24 overall.

Expensive Queen made a statement in capturing her first stakes in the $100,000 Albert M. Stall Memorial, powering to a 2 1/4-length win in the 1 1/16-mile turf fixture for fillies and mares.

A dual winner in three starts since her importation from England last year, Expensive Queen had finished a decent fourth in her stakes debut last May in the Gamely (G1). After a long layoff, she returned in mid-January to capture a stakes-quality allowance at Gulfstream.

Under Luis Saez, Expensive Queen rated in midpack in the Stall Memorial and then kicked clear in the stretch after a four-wide bid. Finishing second was 3-5 favorite Medoro, who was a neck in front of Sweet Treasure.

Owned by Farfellow Farms and trained by Brendan Walsh, Expensive Queen returned $10.40. She completed the course in 1:41.65.

"She had some issues last year and I think she's over them now," said Walsh of the five-year-old by Lope de Vega. "She's turning out to be a very nice mare."

He didn't win as a 1-5 favorite perhaps should, but Usually Wrong did manage to reward his legion of backers in the $97,000 Colonel Power S.

Under Isaac Castillo, Usually Wrong held off a late bid from Mondogetsbuckets to win the 5 1/2-furlong turf dash by a neck. Bear River, the early pacesetter, weakened to third.

The Colonel Power was the second win in three starts for Usually Wrong during the 2025-26 winter meet in New Orleans. Disqualified from first and placed second in an allowance in late December, the five-year-old son of Lookin at Lucky rebounded to win the Jan. 17 Duncan F. Kenner S. by a decisive 2 3/4 lengths.

A three-time stakes winner last season on both turf and dirt, Usually Wrong covered the Colonel Power course in 1:02.28 and paid $3. He is a homebred campaigned by BG Stables and Selman Shaby and is trained by Robertino Diodoro.