Langs Day Tops Louisiana Premier Day Action
Image:
Description:
Photo: Coady Photography
Langs Day wins the Louisiana Premier Day Championship at Delta Downs
Delta Downs hosted its richest program of the season Feb. 5 as the 19th edition of Louisiana Premier Day took center stage. The 11-race program featured 10 stakes races and more than $900,000 in total purse money for Louisiana-bred horses.
The featured race of the day was the $150,000 Louisiana Premier Day Championship, which featured a full field of 10 competing at 1 1/16 miles. The race appeared to be wide open without Underpressure , the winner of the last two editions, who has not entered this time around. But the morning-line favorite and race-time chalk Langs Day did not disappoint, as the Lee Thomas trainee went from last to first while scoring his second stakes win of the meet.
"He's a simple horse but a hard horse to ride," said jockey Ty Kennedy. "You have to let him find himself but once he hits the three-eighths pole he does the rest and I just let the big guy roll. He always runs well at Delta Downs."
Langs Day is known for his strong late kick, and on Saturday he used it well. After dropping back to last in the initial strides he began to pick up momentum racing into the second and final turn while pacesetters Magawildtime and Beauregard carved out fractional times of :23.85 for the opening quarter-mile and :48.37 for the half. When the field hit three-quarters of a mile in 1:14.54 it was Speaktomeoflove who had forged a narrow lead.
In the homestretch, Speaktomeoflove looked to be in for a big payday, but Langs Day had other ideas. The pair hooked up at the sixteenth pole and it was a war of wills before Langs Day got the upper hand late to record a half-length win over his tenacious rival. Jimi's a Star finished well to be third, another 1 1/2 lengths behind the top pair.
Langs Day, timed in 1:48.23, now has six wins from 17 starts for owner Keith Plaisance. The winner's prize of $90,000 on Saturday raised his bankroll to $277,040.
Bred in Louisiana by J. Adcock & Adcock's Red River Farm, Langs Day is a 5-year-old chestnut gelding by New Year's Day out of the Langfuhr mare Langsyne . He was sent off at odds of 8-5 and paid $5.40 on a $2 win ticket.
In other action on the Saturday card, the Allen Landry-trained Net a Bear scored her second stakes win of the season in the $125,000 Distaff; Landry did himself one better in the $100,000 Prince as he saddled the first and second-place finishers, Vodka Gimlet and Brian's Iron Mike ; the $100,000 Starlet featured Free Like a Girl ; Bertie's Galaxy turned in a sharp performance to win the $100,000 Sprint; Cilla stood out in the $100,000 Matron; the $60,000 Gentlemen Starter was taken by Greeley's Dealer ; 34-1 shot Girl Thirsty was victorious as a longshot in the $60,000 Ladies Starter; the $50,000 Bon Temps Starter was won by Madison's Place ; and Alterana took the $50,000 Ragin Cajun Starter.