NEW ORLEANS – No question, Lagynos had the ability and resume to win the Fair Grounds Stakes. The question was whether he could win at the graded-stakes level going a distance as far as nine furlongs. The answer is yes, most definitely.
Put in a perfect spot by jockey Jose Ortiz, Lagynos surged to the lead at the eighth pole and beat Montador to the wire by 2 1/4 lengths. Kupuna, who’d defeated Lagynos last month in the Colonel Bradley Stakes, finished another half-length farther behind in third.
Steve Asmussen, who trains Lagynos, heaped praise upon Ortiz, whose ability to get Lagynos to switch off immediately helped the horse stay this trip.
“I couldn’t believe it when they came past the first time how settled he was. To be able to do that three jumps out of the gate is remarkable,” Asmussen said.
The top three figures go from the Grade 3, $175,000 Fair Grounds onto the most important turf race of the meet, the Grade 2 Muniz Memorial on Louisiana Derby Day, March 21. Fourth-place Brilliant Berti was shaking off rust making his first start since an excellent third last October in the Grade 1 Turf Mile at Keeneland, and connections were using this race as a steppingstone toward the Grade 1 Makers Mark Mile at Keeneland in April.
Five-year-old Lagynos had a brief stint as a dirt horse as a youngster, but by April of his 3-year-old season emerged as a stakes-class turf performer. Almost always in contention, Lagynos won Saturday for just the sixth time in 24 starts, though he did hit the mark with a smashing win late last summer in the $500,000 Tapit Stakes at Kentucky Downs, winning by more than six lengths. The horse can be slightly tricky during his races, making little mistakes here and there. On Saturday, he made none.
Idratherbeblessed, as is his wont, set out on the lead and laid down fractions of 23.53 and 48.13, moderate times on this course today, with Brilliant Berti and Sand Pipes pursuing. Montador wound up down on the fence behind those, Lagynos sailing along in the clear. Ortiz began stoking up past the three-furlong marker around the far bend – but only gradually.
“I wanted to be careful with him,” Ortiz said.
Meanwhile, Tyler Gaffalione came off the fence and got Montador behind Brilliant Berti before the five-sixteenths pole, but Brilliant Berti didn’t carry Montador far enough, and Gaffalione came into the stretch trying to find a spot for the big 4-year-old beneath him. Not until the furlong grounds did the pair find room: Montador kicked, but too late.
“That’s turf racing. First time against older horses, I was really happy with the way he ran. He’s a good horse,” Gaffalione said.
Lagynos paid $9.40 as the fourth choice and was timed in 1:48.02. Lagynos, a son of Kantharos and the Speightstown mare Steamy, campaigns for HRH Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud. He showed he can get nine furlongs on Saturday. It’s on to the Muniz.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.