Bridgmohan lands stakes double at Fair Grounds
NEW ORLEANS, USA (CMC) — Jamaican jockey Shaun Bridgmohan captured a pair of US$100,000 added-money events at Fair Grounds for top trainer Steve Asmussen on Saturday afternoon, landing the Louisiana Champions Day Ladies Sprint and the Daily Racing Form Distaff Stakes.
Bridgmohan scored a smashing eight-length win in the Louisiana Champions Day Ladies Sprint aboard Seven Seventythree over six furlongs and used the favourite War Echo to land the Daily Racing Form Distaff Stakes over a mile and an eighth.
In the Louisiana Champions Day Ladies Sprint over six furlongs, Seven Seventythree was out-paced early in the sprint but responded well when roused by Bridgmohan to be within six lengths of the leading favourite Cajun Conference (3-1) as the 10-horse field entered the homestretch.
The three-year-old filly surged into the lead with a terrific burst approaching the eighth pole and won handsomely by eight lengths in one minute, 11.53 seconds at odds of 7-to-2.
“She really threw down a big turn of foot the last part,” said Bridgmohan after the race.
“I was shocked at the turn of foot she had,” he added.
Asmussen, North America’s number one racehorse trainer, described her performance as “great” and praised Bridgmohan’s handling of her.
“It was a ton of pace, and it really suited her, and Shaun gave her a great trip,” Asmussen said.
Cajun Conference held on for second and the 69-1 outsider Skipping Town was a neck further behind in third.
Bridgmohan used similar tactics to win the Daily Racing Form Distaff with the top choice War Echo (3-5).
After racing in fourth spot for most of the trip, while the 8-1 bet Why Wonder led the five-horse field, War Echo quickened to lead with a rail run — squeezing through a narrow gap — coming off the final turn.
She moved clear in the homestretch under Bridgmohan to win by 3-1/2 lengths in 1:52.20.
The 2-1 second favourite Unforgotten was second.
The win was Bridgmohan’s 12th of the meet and he is ninth in the jockeys’ standings.
Bridgmohan missed the first four weeks of the Fair Grounds — while completing his Churchill Downs assignments in Kentucky — and is now just 10 wins off the leader James Graham (22).