Happy American Rolls Late in Louisiana Stakes

With the recent retirement of grade 1 winner Bell's the One , trainer Neill Pessin may have found his next stable star in Lothenbach Stables’ Happy American .

Like ‘Bell,’ who scored her top-level victory at the age of 4, Happy American is another Pessin pupil who has blossomed with age. The newly-minted 5-year-old, 0-for-4 in stakes company before acing the Tenacious Stakes the day after Christmas, has now captured consecutive black-type events with his stirring Jan. 21 triumph in the $146,000 Louisiana Stakes (G3) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.

Despite his powerful, late-running score in the Tenacious over fellow Louisiana contenders Mr. Wireless , Forza Di Oro , Chess Chief , and Intrepid Heart , favoritism landed on Barry and Joni Butzow’s flashy Dec. 17 allowance winner Zozos , 10th in last year’s Kentucky Derby (G1). Zozos, part of the scramble early, lacked a kick in the stretch and faded to fifth.

Happy American, “bigger and better” since the Tenacious, according to Pessin, took up his usual parking spot near the back of the pack as the Louisiana field was underway. Although Forza Di Oro skirted unchallenged through a sluggish early pace of :25.08, :49.75, and 1:15.09, jockey James Graham remain unrattled aboard the big bay and allowed the gelding to commence his customary closing rally once the field turned for home. Gobbling up the ground from the center of the track, Happy American bore down on a dueling Forza Di Oro and Mr. Wireless.

As the finish line loomed, Happy American collared his foes in a final bid, a neck better than the runner-up. Mr. Wireless was another neck ahead of Forza Di Oro. It was 3 3/4 lengths back to Run Classic  in fourth.

Happy American, returning $10 from a $2 win ticket, clocked 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:45.33.

Purchased by Lothenbach for $385,000 from breeder Claiborne Farm's consignment to the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Happy American has earned $437,376 with a 5-1-3 record from 16 starts.

Happy American was bred in Kentucky out of the Quiet American  mare Queen of America , a producer of eight winners from 11 starters and 12 foals. Her other graded-stakes winning progeny include Economic Model  and Well Monied . She also has two other stakes winners outside of the graded ranks.

Video: Louisiana S. Presented by Relyne GI By Hagyard (G3)

Surveillance, Gentle Soul, Wave of Goodness Shine

Earlier on the card, Big Chief Racing, Rocker O Ranch, and Keith Desormeaux's Surveillance  took his talents to another level with his third straight stakes tally over the Fair Grounds oval in the $97,000 Duncan F. Kenner Stakes. Trained by Desormeaux, the son of Constitution   had previously landed the Nov. 24 Thanksgiving Day Classic and Dec. 26 Richard R. Scherer Memorial Stakes. With jockey James Graham back aboard, Surveillance ($4.20) captured the 5 1/2-furlong Kenner, previously scheduled for the turf but contested on the main track, by a length in a final time of 1:04.05.

Martin Mueller, Don Ladd, Richard Reid, Joe Browley, and Arvydas Ciemins' Gentle Soul  scored a 9-1 upset in defeating grade 1 winner Two Emmys  and favored Price Talk  in the $99,000 Colonel E. R. Bradley Stakes. Trained by Bret Calhoun and ridden by Reylu Gutierrez, Gentle Soul ($21.80) bested Two Emmys by a half-length in a final time of 1:48.82 for about 1 1/16 miles on a firm turf course.

In the fillies and mares equivalent of the Bradley, the $97,000 Marie G. Krantz Memorial Stakes, Hernandez Racing Stable's  Wave of Goodness  ($13.40) prevailed by a half-length for trainer Armando Hernandez. Jockey Mitchell Murrill rode the daughter of Cairo Prince  , who stopped the timer in 1:49.17.