Fair Grounds: Determinedly wins highly anticipated allowance

Determinedly (8-5) set a slow pace all the way around thetrack, leading from gate to wire to win by a neck in a much-anticipatedallowance race for 3-year-olds Saturday at Fair Grounds.

Jockey @luissaezpty and # 5? DETERMINEDLY ($5.20)

went gate-to-wire in Race 9 at @fairgroundsnola today for trainer @markecasse ??

Watch and wager @fandueltv on the TVG app or https://t.co/7YhWIhXHhU! ?? pic.twitter.com/PF5UciYnEn

— TVG (@TVG) January 21, 2023

With Luis Sáez riding for trainer Mark Casse, the CairoPrince colt owned by John Oxley was clocked at 1:45.26 for the 1 1/16 miles onthe drying track that was rated fast. He set fractions of 25.31, 48.94,1:13.01 and 1:38.36.

Post-time favorite Tapit’s Conquest (1-1), who had been cross-enteredand then scratched from the featured Lecomte Stakes (G3), closed from last tofinish second. Silver Heist (16-1) was in mid-pack throughout the race and finished third, a length behind Determinedly. Tapit Shoes (6-1) was fourth throughout the race, and that was where he finished, five lengths up the track. Invulnerable (5-1) stalked the early lead before fadingto last, 12 1/4 lengths behind the winner.

The 2-1 morning-line favorite Banishing was scratched,because he “scraped up a hind leg” and absorbed “a couple of little cuts” aftercasting in his stall overnight, trainer Brendan Walsh told Horse Racing Nation.“It doesn’t look like it’s anything serious, but we obviously can’t run him. Heshouldn’t be off for very long at all.”

The Godolphin homebred colt byGhostzapper won by 8 1/2 lengths in a maiden-breaking performance last month overthe same course and distance he would have run Saturday at Fair Grounds.

Saturday’s race was run at the same distance as the Lecomte,which was scheduled to go 2 1/2 hours later. Written for 3-year-olds who werenon-winners of two, the allowance race also allowed for the use of Lasix wherethe Lecomte did not.