Accelerize Rises to Grade 3 Louisiana Occasion, Denies Just a Touch

NEW ORLEANS (Jan. 17, 2026) – With just three races of experience, Spendthrift Farm and Repole Stable’s Accelerize wasted no time proving his class, denying odds-on favorite Just a Touch at the wire of the Grade 3 $250,000 Louisiana Stakes Presented by Hagyard on the Road to the Derby Day undercard at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.

Exiting a first-level allowance win, the 4-year-old colt trained by Todd Pletcher beat seven older males and covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.43.

Under jockey Flavien Prat, Accelerize fought off Tarantino for the early lead and proved his heart down the stretch. After being headed by Just a Touch, Accelerize battled back to prevail by a neck at the wire. Cadet Corps ran third.

“On paper, it looked like there was a lot of speed,” Prat said. “But my horse came out of a shorter distance race and showed speed as well. So, I was wanting to break well and at least get him running to the turn, and we wound up on a lead. He has some fight in him. It’s a pretty bright future for him.”

Accelerize returned $19, $5.60 and $6.

The Omaha Beach colt improved his career record to 4-3-0-1 and boosted his lifetime bankroll to $154,480.

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About Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots

Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, one of the nation’s oldest racetracks, has been in operation since 1872. Located in New Orleans, La, Fair Grounds, which is owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ Global Select Market: CHDN), also operates a slot-machine gaming facility and 13 off-track betting parlors throughout Southeast Louisiana. The 154th Thoroughbred Racing Season–highlighted by the 113th running of the Louisiana Derby–will run from Nov. 20, 2025 through March 22, 2026. More information is available online at www.fgno.com.