Photo:
Fair Grounds / Lily G. Weir / Hodges Photography
Odds-on favorites proved vulnerable in both the Gary P. Palmisano Memorial and Bob F. Wright Memorial, two $100,000, Louisiana-bred
stakes for older sprinters Saturday at Fair Grounds.
Not On Herb, who pressed 4-5 favorite Geaux Sugar through
the far turn, inched closer with every stride down the stretch before finally
wrestling away the advantage to take the third running of the Palmisano.
Click here for Fair Grounds entries and results.
Jockey Jareth Loveberry piloted the 5-year-old son of First
Samurai, who had lost to Geaux Sugar in both the Louisiana Champions Day Sprint
and Andrew Ney in the current meet.
#8 NOT ON HERB ($10.60) beats #3 Geaux Sugar on the @fairgroundsnola wire to win the $100,000 Gary P. Palmisano Memorial Stakes with @jareth16 in the saddle for trainer David Terre and owner Crusaders Stable.
Another stakes winner for First Samurai who stands at @ClaiborneFarm. pic.twitter.com/fXotWUySiE
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) January 11, 2025
“Having the outside position today helped,” Loveberry said.
“(Not On Herb) was just ready. He broke sharp, was on the horse’s hip the whole
way. I couldn’t be happier for this horse, this group of people. They have been
so good to me since the beginning. This was the first stakes horse I won on at
Fair Grounds, and it’s an honor to win on him again and in this stakes race
named for Mr. Gary Palmisano.”
Covering six furlongs in 1:10.91 on a fast main track, Not
On Herb won by a head, securing a first local stakes win for his trainer David
Terre.
“I’ve won stakes at Evangeline Downs but never at the Fair
Grounds,” Terre said. “Fair Grounds is where we all look forward to being. We’re
natives of New Orleans, and this is the place to be. It’s an honor to win
this.”
Not On Herb, owned by Crusaders Stable, paid $10.60, $4.00,
and $3.00.
“Jareth did a great job putting the pressure on Geaux Sugar
early, and I think that helped down the stretch,” Terre said. “If we had given
him an easy lead, there’s no beating him. I am very happy to win the Palmisano
named for a great man, Mr. Gary. I have known him since I was a kid.”
With his win in the Palmisano, Not On Herb added a fourth
stakes title to his resume for a career record of 18: 8-1-3 with career
earnings of $339,470.
Palmisano was a Louisiana racing icon, working as a longtime
trainer and racing official before he died in 2021. His son Gary Palmisano
Jr. is the executive director of racing for Churchill Downs Inc., which owns
Fair Grounds.
Classy Judy G dominates
Wright
Classy Judy G handled a field of six fillies and mares to
take the $100,000 Bob F. Wright in gate-to-wire fashion in her first stakes
try.
The lightly raced 4-year-old owned by Fountain Grass
Thoroughbred Farm covered six furlongs in 1:11.58 over a good main track,
finishing 2 1/4 lengths in front of the odds-on favorite Manama Gold.
#ICYMI – CLASSY JUDY G ($10.00) and @jockeypedrozajr break sharp and run away with the $100,000 Bob F. Wright Memorial Stakes at @fairgroundsnola for trainer Patricia West and owner Fountain Grass Thoroughbred Farm. pic.twitter.com/je3lDKK6yF
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) January 11, 2025
Trained by Patricia West, the 4-year-old Outwork filly made
the Wright her second win of the meet, both under the handling of Marcelino
Pedroza Jr.
“I knew I had the one to beat behind me,” Pedroza said.
“Turning for home I decided to wait a little longer to let her out, but I
wanted to get away from them in case she does something like duck out, which
she has in the past. She’s such a nice filly. I told Patricia the first day I
got on her that this is the best one right here that you have.”
With Freeburn pressing to her outside and Manama Gold
chasing behind the leading pair, Classy Judy G led through opening calls of 22.19
and 46.11 seconds. After turning back Freeburn’s bid at the sixteenth pole,
Classy Judy G pulled away and held off the late run from Manama Gold despite
drifting out five paths ahead of the wire. Freeburn held on for third.
“She has run a little bit green every time,” West said. “We
hope that she gets it together, and we’ll have a fun summer with her.”
Sent off at 4-1, Classy Judy G paid $10.00, $4.80, and
$3.80.
Having won three straight after running fifth on debut,
Classy Judy G has earned $121,920.
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