Red Route One Rallies to Win New Orleans Classic Stakes
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Photo: Hodges Photography / Lou Hodges, Jr.
Red Route One is clear at the wire in the New Orleans Classic Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course
Late-running Red Route One used a sustained rail move in the far turn to move into contention then in the stretch surged past the fading Best Actor and a resolute Touchuponastar to post a two-length victory in the $500,000 New Orleans Classic Stakes (G2) March 23 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.
The victory marked the first grade 2 win for Winchell Thoroughbreds homebred Red Route One, a 4-year-old son of Gun Runner who last year captured the West Virginia Derby (G3).
On Saturday Red Route One raced in eighth early in the field of nine older runners before finding room to rally along the rail under Joel Rosario. Redirected to the three path in the stretch, Red Route One surged to the victory, completing 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.14 on a fast track. Red Route One is trained by Racing Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen.
The winner's rally denied Louisiana-bred Touchuponastar a grade 2 win in his first try at the level. Trained by Jeff Delhomme for owner Jake Delhomme's Set-Hut, Touchuponastar is an eight-time winner of state-bred stakes and entered the New Orleans off of four straight stakes wins. The 5-year-old Star Guitar gelding raced through a half-mile in :46.87 and six furlongs in 1:11.17 while shadowed by Mineshaft Stakes (G3) runner-up Best Actor .
Touchuponastar would put away favored Best Actor but not have an answer for Red Route One, who returned $11.80 to win, $5.20 to place, and $2.80 to show. Mineshaft winner Money Supply , who entered off a five-race win streak of his own for owner Jordan Wycoff, settled for third.
After placing in last year's Southwest Stakes (G3) and Rebel Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn Park before winning Bath House Row Stakes there in April, Red Route One competed in both the Preakness (G1) and Belmont (G1) stakes but failed to earn a placing in either of those classics. Asmussen gave him nearly two months off after the Belmont before his next start, the West Virginia Derby where he rallied from 15 lengths back to land his first graded stakes win.
This year Red Route One opened his season with a runner-up finish to Saudi Crown in the Louisiana Stakes (G3) before finishing fourth in the Mineshaft Stakes (G3) on a sloppy Fair Grounds surface.
Kentucky-bred Red Route One is out of the unraced Tapit mare Red House, who has produced two stakes winners from as many starters. Red Route One's full brother, Red Run , won the 2022 Bob Bork Texas Turf Mile Stakes at Sam Houston Race Park. Out of 2014 Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders and Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders' Association Broodmare of the Year Fun House , Red House is a full sister to 2014 champion 3-year-old filly Untapable and a half sister to classic-placed grade 1 winner Paddy O'Prado .
Red Route One is the second graded stakes winner this season for Gun Runner, who also boasts Risen Star Stakes (G2) winner Sierra Leone , a top classic hopeful this season. Gun Runner stands for $250,000 at Three Chimneys Farm near Midway, Ky.