Special Win for Faucheux as Mangelsen Wires Johnston Memorial — Dowagiac Chief Wins Black Gold — Net a Bear Wins Her Second Red Camelia

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Special Win for Faucheux as Mangelsen Wires Johnston Memorial
Post-time favorite Who Took the Money scratched after flipping in the gate
 

New Orleans, LA (March 5, 2022) —All stakes victories are sweet, but this one touched trainer Ron Faucheux deeply. Though this is the 42nd running of the $60,000 Edward J. Johnston Memorial Stakes, 2022 is the first year it was run under its current title. Named for the recently departed, longtime beloved Louisiana horsemen, Eddie Johnston, a dear friend of and mentor to Faucheux, the race took on added significance.

You wouldn’t be the only one wondering if Johnston had a divine hand in setting the stage for Allen Cassedy’s Mangelsen to succeed as the race was over for the initial post-time favorite before it even began.

Loading into the gate, fans and connections alike had one question – could the chalk Who Took the Money run down the front-running Mangelsen before the wire and win his third race in a row? On this day, that question would not be answered. 

The Bret Calhoun-trained colt, who was recently named  3-year-old colt of the year by the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association, flipped, broke through the gate, and ran off before being caught and scratched. It was the perfect situation for Mangelsen to capitalize on, and following a slight delay, the betting public knew just that, with money shifting heavily to make Mangelsen the eventual .50-1 favorite.

“It was unfortunate the 6 horse (Who Took the Money) scratching,” jockey Jareth Loveberry said. “But our plan was still the same. Go to the front, get him to relax on his own, and carry him home.”

Relaxed and leading through all the 25.11, 49.44, and 1:27.52 calls by as many as four lengths, Mangelsen didn’t feel pressure until the homestretch when 4.00-1 closer Treys Midnite Moon made a move on the rail that put him in front in the deep stretch, but only for a handful of strides. After taking a bad step near the rail earlier on, jockey Jareth Loveberry made sure to finish down the center of the turf course which separated him from his rail-rallying pursuer, but that didn’t stop Mangelsen from seeing the threat, responding, and fighting forward to come home in 1:40.61 for the mile (about) over a firm course with the rail eight feet out.

In the winner’s circle, the emotions came through for Fair Grounds’ 2020-21 leading trainer Faucheux, who with this win regained a one-win lead on four-time Brad Cox for this meet’s crown.

“Today was all about Eddie Johnston and his family coming out,” Faucheux said. “Eddie was one of the greatest friends I have ever had. A true mentor, he taught me so much. I just can’t be happier to win this race. This goes down as maybe the best win of my life. That’s how much Eddie meant to me. This is definitely one I’ll never forget.”

One dimensional and one away from his tenth win, Mangelsen’s career record is now 28-9-4-2, sitting pretty with earnings of $194,800 and ready for his next front-running score.

Additional quotes:

Jareth Loveberry, jockey on Mangelsen

“He relaxed really nice on the backside, when he switched leads going into the second turn he kinda bobbled where the chewed-up track was, so I knew down the lane I had to get him out to the cleaner turf. I had to get him out onto the center of the track.”

Ron Faucheux, trainer of Mangelsen

“Mangelsen is definitely one-dimensional. He needs the lead. I think Eddie was looking over us to win this race today. Everything set up–the speed scratched the favorite scratched. There’s no question Eddie was looking down on us today.”

 

 

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Dowagiac Chief Wins, Trainer Amoss Finishes First and Third in Black Gold 

Tommy Bee and Iberville prove no match for Cairo Prince colt 


Easy to the lead but tested on the turn, Michael McLoughlin’s Dowagiac Chief scored a resounding five-length victory in the 64th running of the $75,000 Black Gold Stakes. Trained by Tom Amoss, who also sent out third-place finisher Iberville, Dowagiac Chief took another step forward in the 3-year-old turf division, winning his second 1 1/16 mile contest.

“The horse ran great,” Amoss said. “He was able to control things on the front end. He’s a beautiful mover on the dirt, but we tried him on the dirt and it didn’t work. We like him on the grass.” 

Breaking from the post in the field of six 3-year-olds, the odds-on favorite .60-1 Dowagiac Chief got the lead and held it through the first two calls in 24.51 and 50.55. 10.60-1 outsider Russian Tank moved ahead of 2.10-1 second-favorite Tommy Bee into a pressing position to test Dowagiac Chief before the second turn. Russian Tank actually put a head in front at the quarter-pole, but then faded before the stretch call and finished fifth. Tommy Bee stalked the top two in the second turn but never got closer than four lengths of the eventual winner Dowagiac Chief who fought back to lead and seal the deal in 1:46.65 going 1 1/16 miles on a firm course with the rail eight feet out. Settled at the back early, 8.70-1 Iberville made his move late for Amoss to finish third

Onboard for Dowagiac Chief’s December win in a similar fashion over Brad Cox-trained Tommy Bee, jockey James Graham expressed excitement about the son of Cairo Prince’s future.

“He’s proved that he can do it, we just wanted to slow it (the pace) down the backside,” Graham said. “He’s maturing all the time, so we expect even more later on.”

In his second start as a 3-year-old after finishing fourth in the Texas Turf Mile at Sam Houston last out, Dowagiac Chief recorded his first stakes victory to boost his lifetime mark to 8-3-0-0 lifetime, netting him $178,800 in earnings. The future looks bright.  

“Mike McLoughlin, the owner and I have been together a long time,” Amoss said. “This is a horse that I bought for him at the Keeneland (September yearling) sale, so it makes it special. I’ve been a part of this horse’s life since he was a yearling. Look for him on the grass at a stake at Keeneland or Churchill.”

 

 

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Net a Bear Reasserts Her Dominance Winning Red Camelia
Formful Fort Polk doesn’t give an inch, but settles for second 

In a workmanlike performance, Maxximo Lamarche and Frederico Deltoro’s Net a Bear bested her three rivals in the 46th running of the $60,000 Red Camelia Stakes, reasserting her claim yet again as the top Louisiana-bred mare. A versatile 6-year-old who keeps getting better, Net a Bear is now perfect from three starts in 2022. Always ready and willing for trainer Allen Landry, Net a Bear followed up a dirt score in the Premier Distaff at Delta Downs with Saturday’s win on turf. 

“She pretty much does whatever you ask,” Allen Landry said. “She is in fine form.”

Traveling a mile over the Stall-Wilson turf course, the odds-on .60-1 favorite Net a Bear tracked the leading pair, while 3.40-1 Offspring’s front-running bid did little to discourage 3.90-1 Fort Polk from tightly pressing less than a length off the 24.47 and 48.84 early calls. Fort Polk took over off the second turn and held the advantage into the stretch, while Net a Bear loomed, gearing up for her late kick down the center of the course. She slowly grinded by Fort Polk late, winning by ¾ of a length and stopping the timer in 1:40.65 with the rail eight feet out on a firm course. It was another four lengths back to Offspring in third and Blessed Anna finished last of the four. 

Jockey Colby Hernandez took his first spin aboard Net a Bear, following Landry’s instructions to a T.

“He (Landry) told me not to let her fall too far out of it and don’t rush her up,” Hernandez said. “She broke into a good spot. Down the lane she switched leads and went about her business getting the win.”

Landry has had the 6-year-old mare by Awesome Bet in his barn since the beginning. He notched her fourth win in seven turf starts at Fair Grounds, including the 2020 Red Camelia. Net a Bear now has a lifetime record of 31-11-6-6 with $561,670 in the bank.

 

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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 15 off-track betting parlors throughout Southeast Louisiana. The 150th Thoroughbred Racing Season – highlighted by the 109th running of the Louisiana Derby – will run from November 25, 2021 through March 27, 2022. More information is available online at www.fairgroundsracecourse.com.

 

Mangelsen