Australasia Kicks Off State-Bred Louisiana Derby Undercard Stakes In Style

NEW ORLEANS, LA – On a 14-race card that included 8 stakes and culminated with Hot Rod Charlie’s win in the $1 million TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby (G2), Hubert Guy and Magnifico’s Australasia didn’t waste any time lighting the torch in the 11:20 a.m. Central opener.

Undefeated from 3 starts coming in, she remained that way with a workmanlike 2 3/4-length win over Winning Romance in the $100,000 Crescent City Oaks for Louisiana-bred 3-year-old fillies. 

Florent Geroux had Australasia ($2.20) in second and spying the early speed of Winning Romance as the latter cut out fast fractions of 23.62 and 46.83 with the 1/9 favorite pressing her from the entire way. The pair came off the far turn together and began to draw away from the field, with Australasia asserting herself late and pulling clear for a popular win. Big Time, a two-time state-bred stakes winner earlier in the meet, rallied for a non-threatening third.

Geroux, aboard Australasia for the first time, had as many anxious moments prior to the race as he did during it, as his filly reared up a bit, tossed her head, and crashed in to his mouth and cheek, causing a few scrapes. 

“The bugler was playing the music (call to post) before the race and she got scared and backed into me, but everything was good after that and I tried to keep her as quiet as I could in the post parade,” Geroux said. “She did the job again and proved she is a talented filly. We’ll see what she can do next time.” 

Australasia, a daughter of Sky Kingdom, burst on to the scene here Opening Day, November 26, when she won on debut by 8 1/4 lengths at what looks like a now robust 7/2 for trainer Brad Cox. She backed that run up with similar dominant efforts at Delta Downs in the Louisiana Jewel in January and Premier Star February 10, winning by 6 lengths and 7 1/4 lengths, respectively. Australasia is obviously a queen in the state-bred ranks, which has Cox looking towards open waters. 

“We may have taken some low-hanging fruit today, but now she’s 4-for-4 and she deserves an opportunity against open company; we’ll do that next time, but I’m not sure where,” Cox said. “I’m just proud of what she did today. They rode along pretty good up front and she finished up really well and did what she was supposed to do. Any time a horse is 4-for-4, they have to have ability, and she stepped up and ran a good race today.” 

Grade 1 winner No Parole may have garnered all the pre-race headlines, but Valene Farms’ Classy John got the money as he pulled off a shocker by a head over X Clown in the $100,000 Costa Rising. Run at 5 1/2 furlongs over the Stall-Wilson Turf Course, the Costa Rising was the second of three state-bred stakes on the Louisiana Derby (G2) undercard, and while the other two went to a pair of heavy favorites, Classy John blew up the board at $61.

Colby Hernandez and Classy John pressed X Clown for the majority of the first 5 furlongs as the duo ran in tandem and were never more than a head apart while carving out fractions of 22.59 and 45.54. Meanwhile, No Parole, the 2/5 favorite making his turf debut, broke slowly from the inside and wasn’t allowed to show his customary blazing early speed, as he was bottled up on the backside.

Classy John took charge in midstretch and opened a 1 1/2length lead, only to see X Clown re-break and rally again, only to fall a whisker short. Monte Man, who won the Costa Risa the past 2 years, rallied late to finish a 1/2-length over No Parole in third. Classy John stopped the timer in 1:03.17 over a turf course listed as “good.” 

Hernandez was aboard for Classy John’s last 2 starts and knew his charge had plenty of tactical speed, but after seeing No Parole behind him, he decided to take advantage. 

“Obviously I knew No Parole was the horse to beat and I knew where he was,” Hernandez said. “(When he broke slow) I took his spot, and from there, he just fought hard all the way for the win.” 

Classy John has been a reclamation for trainer Dallas Stewart, as he was a 2-year-old Louisiana-bred champion in 2018 but went off form since and entered off 12 straight losses dating back to a win in the Louisiana Futurity here on the main track in December 2018. Stewart never lost faith with the 5-year-old son of Songandaprayer but did try a career and surface change in January, when Classy John was seventh over the Stall-Wilson. He re-emerged in his last, when second, beaten a head, behind two-time defending Costa Rising champion Monte Man and clearly moved forward Saturday, while upping his lifetime record to 4-for-17. 

“We were struggling a little bit so we tried him on the grass and he ran OK the first time and the second time he ran great,” Stewart said. “Today was just an awesome performance. He beat a Grade 1 winner today and a horse (Monte Man) who has won 17 races, so I think that establishes himself as a nice horse on the turf.” 

No Parole had every chance when produced off the far turn after his slow break, yet flattened out a bit late to finish third. The 4-year-old son of Violence was one of the best 3-year-old dirt sprinters in the country last year for trainer Tom Amoss and won the Woody Stephens (G1) at Belmont Park in June. Luis Saez was aboard for the Woody Stephens and definitely wasn’t in the position he envisioned shortly after the start. 

“He was in the right position turning from home but he didn’t break that well,” Saez said. “From there they went slow and everyone came back and we couldn’t be there (in front) in the spot we wanted to be.” 

To say trainer Bret Calhoun had some anxious moments prior to the $100,000 Crescent City Derby would be like saying Saints fans won’t miss Drew Brees.  

Allied Racing Stable’s homebred Who Took the Money, the overwhelming 2/5 favorite, decided to give his 11 3-year-old rivals a fighting chance when he flipped over in the post parade, tossed jockey Gabe Saez, and briefly ran off. Once corralled and deemed fit to run by a state veterinarian, he was all business, rallying along the rail and holding off his game stablemate Highland Creek by a nose. 

“He’s a big, strong horse and he’s still learning his lessons,” Calhoun said. “Both the horse and jockey were very game in their performances.” 

Who Took the Money settled in sixth early on behind longshot leaders Wise Verdict and Wrongwayhighway while Highland Creek settled in third. The field bunched entering the far turn when Adam Beschizza and Highland Creek opted to tip out wide, while Saez and Who Took the Money held the rail and scooted through the large opening inside when the leaders fanned off the turn. Who Took the Money kicked clear but Highland Creek was resolute, though he ultimate came up short, with the winner traveling the 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.73. It was a length back to Unanimously in third.  

Saez was been aboard Who Took the Money in both of his prior 2 starts and chalked up the pre-race incident to bad luck. But once the gates opened, it was business as usual. 

“It was just one of those things that happens every so often,” Saez said. “I was able to save ground on the inside and got through and he kicked on from there.”  

Who Took the Money has come a long way in a short period of time for Calhoun, as he was an unraced maiden on the morning of February 5 and is now 3-for-3 and a stakes winner. Wild and hard to handle early on, Calhoun opted to geld the son of Street Boss prior to his career debut and Who Took the Money won by 4 1/2 lengths. He entered off another easy win in a March 6 two-turn state-bred allowance. 

Calhoun and Allied’s owner Chester Thomas teamed to win the Louisiana Derby (G2) in 2019 with By My Standards, and while Who Took the Money isn’t in that class, the latter still had plenty of reason to celebrate. 

“We’re having a lot of fun with these Louisiana-breds,” Thomas said. “You’ve got to give it to Gabe, what a heart, he rode a wonderful race. What can you say, Bret and everyone has done a great job.”