Her Laugh completed a banner day for Grantley Acres' Geoff Nixon and trainer Whit Beckman when the Practical Joke filly coasted to a gate-to-wire triumph in the $99,000 Untapable Stakes Dec. 21 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.
Earlier in the afternoon, Nixon and Beckman had landed black-type glory with another daughter of Practical Joke with 2-year-old Simply Joking in the six-furlong Leteillier Memorial Stakes. Nixon co-owns that filly with Ryan Conner and Berkels0813.
"Whit Beckman looks like he's got two problems on his hands, but two good problems," joked Nixon in the winner's circle. Nixon had bred Her Laugh himself at his Midway, Ky., farm. She is the first winner produced from the Point of Entry mare Truth Goddess, who Nixon purchased as a yearling for $30,000 at the 2016 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
Second choice on the odds board behind brilliant Churchill Downs maiden scorer Golden Gamble, Her Laugh rolled to an uncontested lead under Axel Concepcion and stole the show on the front end after setting modest early fractions. Widening her advantage at the quarter pole, Her Laugh bounded away from her chasing rivals, hitting the wire on top by 2 1/2 lengths in 1:43.72.
Golden Gamble got up for second, one length ahead of a closing California Sunset in third.
Her Laugh ($11) joined the Kentucky Oaks (G1) trail with her first stakes win, grabbing 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks series. The first race in Fair Grounds' series of prep races for the Run for the Lilies offered Oaks points at a 10-5-3-2-1 scale.
Beckman indicated that Her Laugh was likely to continue onto the next leg of the Fair Grounds prep races for the Kentucky Oaks in the $150,000 Silverbulletday Stakes Jan. 18.
Video: Untapable S. (BT)
Saudi Crown Outclasses Field in Tenacious Stakes Win
FMQ Stables' Saudi Crown bounced back from a disappointing finish in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) with a commanding victory in the $99,000 Tenacious Stakes.
Breaking from post 7 in the eight-horse field, jockey Florent Geroux hustled the colt out of the gates and quickly angled the gray or roan colt into a stalking trip behind the front-running Track Phantom. Pressing the pacesetter through lively fractions of :23.84, :47.59, and 1:11.50, Saudi Crown took control from his younger rival at the top of the lane and kicked clear to a two-length tally.
Saudi Crown's stablemate, 3-year-old Kinetic, rallied to grab runner-up honors despite lugging in late. Warrior Johny completed the trifecta.
The grade 1 winner stopped the timer in 1:42.35 for 1 1/16 miles and returned $4.20 from a $2 win ticket.
"I thought about going to the Cigar Mile (after the Breeders' Cup) but I felt like I needed to work him a few more times and find a softer spot to get his confidence back," said trainer Brad Cox. "I thought this would be a great spot to try. I don't know where this leads but hopefully, we can move forward off this, he's a good colt.
"The other colt (Kinetic) is pretty good; he's going to improve. He kind of reminds me of Highland Falls at this point last year. I think he's got a big future."
Last winter, Saudi Crown captured Fair Grounds' Louisiana Stakes (G3) before finishing a close third in the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1). Notching his fourth black-type win Saturday, the 4-year-old son of Always Dreaming boosted his career bankroll to $3,130,985.
