Accomplished Girl won her second turf sprint stakes of the Fair Grounds meet when she ran down Speedy Traveler to win the $100,000 Bobby Kelly Memorial by three-quarters of a length Saturday.
Winning rider Jose Ortiz said in a post-race interview that he had an easy trip, but Ortiz deserves more credit than that.
Accomplished Girl broke sharply and made the early lead before Speedy Traveler came winging up on the outside to take over before the turn. Caught in a tricky spot racing second along the fence, Ortiz held his ground, eventually let Speedy Traveler cross in front of him for a clear lead, and steered Accomplished Girl outside the pacesetter at the five-sixteenths pole. His willing mount jumped right into the fray, steadily wearing down Speedy Traveler and finally hitting the front in the final half-furlong.
“She’s a very nice mare and she knows how to win,” said Ortiz, who’s running away with the riding title his first season at Fair Grounds.
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Speedy Traveler, who drew in from the also-eligible list to make her turf debut, held well off surprisingly slow splits of 22.94 and 47.34 on a course rated firm, the portable rail placed at 17 feet. Big Trouble, cutting back from routes and returning from a layoff, came flying late up the fence to miss second by a head, with second choice Oeuvre a fading fourth.
Danse Macabre, who would have vied for favoritism, didn’t ship to New Orleans from trainer Kelsey Danner’s barn in Kentucky.
Accomplished Girl was timed in 1:05.45 and paid $5.60 as the favorite. Winner of the Pan Zareta on turf early in the meet, Accomplished Girl performed below her best on Dec. 26 finishing third in a sprint stakes scheduled for turf but rained onto dirt.
“We were happy to have her back on the turf today,” said Scott Blasi, assistant to trainer Steve Asmussen. “Jose worked out a beautiful trip.”
Accomplished Girl won for the sixth time in 18 starts but is 3-6 since Asmussen began training her last summer. Owned by the Gentry Stable, Accomplished Girl has a top-notch turf-sprint pedigree, by Street Boss out of the Twirling Candy mare Dazzle. She was bred in Kentucky by Jack Swain -- and clearly has a fondness for the grass in New Orleans.
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