FG Stakes (Grade 3)- $175.000 Purse
FG- For Four Year Olds and Upward
One Mile and One Eighth on the Turf
February 17, 2024

Despite having a lot of success here at FG, the betting public did not give much of a chance to Chai Danger, sending the three-time LCD Turf winner off at odds of 24/1. The seven-year-old gelding had never actually won a graded stake, and with more well-known names taking part, Chai Danger was a longshot. The FG Stakes marked the twelfth time that the horse had been entered into graded company and it would result in his twelfth career victory. It’s fitting that it came here at FG, as well, as the soft ground certainly did not bother him at all. He is trained by Wolf Ridge Stables, and this is the first time that the trainer has won this stake. C J McMahon was aboard, and it is their second win in it. Congratulations to them! The winning time was 1:50.43, which is about a tenth faster than the previous time the stake ran on soft turf. Let’s take a look at it now!

(½ Mile- :48.30)- Out of the gate, Giannis is a little quicker for Riggins Racing and holds a slight advantage as the run around the opening turn begins, but he would soon be joined up front by the Night Rider Stables- trained Karma Sutra, and from the outside, Broad Brush, for Czech Out Farms. After half a mile, it is Karma Sutra that gets credit for the lead, being up by a neck. After the front three, we have another trio that sees TwinTowersRacing’s Fire And Ice leading by a head over Set In Space (Nakamura Stables) and Hurricane Fly (Fractious). A length behind them, we have our eventual winner from Wolf Ridge Stables, Chai Danger, running side by side with the post- time favorite Pxg (Mb Stables). It’s a gap of about three to Sweep The Soviet (Wood Racing Stables), and the trailer is someone we hope doesn’t let us down for picking him, Threshold’s Bronze Bomber.

(3/4 Mile- 1:12.96)- Heading down the backstretch, Giannis is looking quite good and is able to draw away from the two who had been running alongside of him. Karma Sutra has dropped a length behind him while Broad Brush was dropping more sharply. None of the three stalkers had made a push yet, but it is now Hurricane Fly that is looking the best of them and is a half-length ahead of both Fire And Ice and Set In Space. Both Chai Danger and Pxg are content to sit in tight behind this group for now, while both Sweep The Soviet and Bronze Bomber were already looking like also-rans unless they suddenly decided to wake up.

(Top of Stretch, 1.8F To Go)- Giannis is looking very good right now as he hopes to shoot down this competition. He smoothly handled the turn and ran well into the stretch. However, there was a storm coming in the form of Hurricane Fly, who had moved into second and had a clear lane to pass Giannis when he was ready. Karma Sutra remained third, trying to hang tough on the rail, but gaining ground more quickly was Chai Danger. Entering the stretch, he was now fourth, and was able to move into the second lane without any trouble. He, too, would have a clear lane to take his shot at the leader. Set In Space and Fire And Ice were lacking further response, and Broad Brush was losing ground. Pxg was setting off a lot of groans in the crowd as he had nothing for the stretch. Sweep The Soviet was a length ahead of Bronze Bomber now, but still too far out of it.

(Finish- 1:50.43)- Giannis did the best that he could in the stretch, but it was apparent that both Hurricane Fly and Chai Danger were going to run him down before the wire. The question would be at this point, which of these two would grab the win? Hurricane Fly was the first to get by Giannis, but approaching the wire, Chai Danger was doing what he does very well here at FG, running hard all the way to the finish as he picked up his fifth career win on this track. Hurricane Fly is second by half a length, with Giannis taking third. Fire And Ice is the best of the rest, for fourth. The rest of the order is Set In Space, Karma Sutra, Pxg, Sweep The Soviet, Broad Brush, and Bronze Bomber.

About The Winner- Chai Danger, trained by Wolf Ridge Stables and ridden to victory by C J McMahon, is a seven-year-old gelding by the late Chai Falls and is out of the late House Danger. He was bred in Louisiana by Jive Inc as a yearling, and was acquired by Wolf Ridge Stables, via New Larkhill Stables in an October 2021 private sale for $45.000. Congratulations to the connections! The win is his twelfth in 48 starts and his sixth stake win, but first graded win. His career earnings are now $737.490.

Track: Soft
Time: :48¹  1:12⁴  1:38  1:50²

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 3 – 1 Paid 614.30
$1 Trifecta: 3 – 1 – 8 Paid 1,183.30

Scratched: None

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES