Louisiana Futurities
Stovall with Corey Lanerie aboard passes Carpis feet from the wire to win the 60th running of the Louisiana Futurity Colts and Geldings Division at Fair Grounds. Hodges Photography / Lou Hodges, Jr.
COLT & GELDING DIVISION
STOVALL
(Half Ours-Cherub Heart)
Breeder: Clear Creek Stud LLC • Owner: Clyde P. Moran Sr. and Jeff Plotkin
With a change of tactics and a change in riders, Clyde Moran Sr and Jeff Plotkin’s Stovall won 2023 colt and gelding division of the $100,000 Louisiana Futurity at Fair Grounds. After being in the thick of the early mix in each of the juvenile’s five races, Stovall’s trainer Samuel Breaux called upon Corey Lanerie to settle the son of Half Ours early and save his run for the last two furlongs.
“We did a few adjustments and decided to come off the pace instead of going up there,” Breaux said. “There was lots of speed in there, and he stopped the other day (in the Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile), so we decided to change strategies.”
With his eyes set on the even-money favorite Carpis throughout, Stovall followed that leader through the far turn. At the top of the stretch, Lanerie showed him daylight and Stovall responded to run down Carpis, officially beating that foe by a 1/2 length. Going six furlongs, the colts & geldings division of the Futurity was run in 1:11.54.
“I looked at his form and he’s always up front battling and he always sort of stops,” Lanerie said. “I had-n’t spoken to Sam (Breaux) until I got into the pad-dock, and he said ‘there’s a lot of speed, maybe we got to come from behind.’ We both agreed we shouldn’t take him back but we wouldn’t send him. He put me in a great spot right behind the favorite. He’s pretty strong. He wasn’t really wanting to sit back there but he wasn’t crazy rank. When I showed him daylight, he gave me another gear and it was enough.”
Stovall returned $22.60, $6.40, $3.80. Carpis offered $2.60, $2.40. Tdzshininluckystar paid out $4.80.
After winning his first stake in his fourth try, Stovall’s 2-year-old record tops off at 6-3-0-1 with $105,850 in earnings.
Stovall is by Half Ours. The stallion was a popular perennial leading Louisiana sire before he was eutha-nized in 2021 following a paddock accident. His last crop are two-year-olds of 2024.
Out of the winning Dehere mare, Cherub Heart, Stoval is a half-brother to Aceguitar (Star Guitar).
Guitar Solo with jockey Corey Lanerie aboard wins the 57th running of the $100,000 Louisiana Futurity Filly Division at Fair Grounds. Hodges Photography / Jan Brubaker
FILLY DIVISION
Guitar Solo
(Star Guitar-Tory’s Triumph) Breeder/Owner – World War IV Racing
Though she came up short on Louisiana Champions Day, Guitar Solo substantiated her mon-ster debut effort with a dominant win in the 2023 Filly Division of the $100,000 Louisiana Futurity at Fair Grounds. With the lead and the rail, World War IV Racing’s home-bred trained by Allen Landry saved every inch to beat six Louisiana-bred juvenile fillies to the wire by 2 1/4 lengths over Freeburn.
“She showed up today,” Landry said. “Last time (in the Lassie) we ran her back in just nine days. It was a little quick, but we just sort of had to.”
Being pressured throughout by Freeburn, Guitar Solo ran profes-sionally and in tune with her jockey Corey Lanerie throughout to cover the six furlongs in 1:10.87, over a half-second faster than the winner of the Boys division earlier on the card.
“I really just had to be a good passenger and hope we got a good break and she did the rest,” Lanerie said. “(Freeburn) came up to me around the turn and I wasn’t sure, I thought it was going to be close all the way to the end. She proved to be the best horse today and got the job done.”
The Star Guitar filly could be even better covering a route of ground.
“I think once we get to stretch-ing out she’ll be better,” Landry said. Guitar Solo paid $6.20, $3.80, $2.80. Freeburn returned $3.40, $2.60. Platinum Minit scrambled down the center of the track to edge out Clearly a Test and pay $4.20.
Capping off her freshman year at 3-2-0-1, Guitar Solo has earned$96,800.
Guitar Solo is by four time Louisiana Horse of the Year and all-time leading Louisiana money earner Star Guitar. Star Guitar has been the number one sire of Louisiana Breds every year since 2018 except for 2021 when he ranked 2nd behind fellow Clear Creek stallion Half Ours. Guitar Solo’s dam, Tory’s Triumph, is a stakes placed daughter of Grand Appointment.