LCD Turf ($100.000 Purse)
FG- For Three Year Olds and Upward
One Mile and One Sixteenth on the Turf
December 10, 2022

Last year, Chai Danger found himself victorious in the LCD Turf, but he had to share the winner’s circle with another horse. This time, he did one better, winning the race outright. Louisiana Chicken made sure that he was in a tight photo again, but Chai Danger prevails and becomes the first horse to win this race twice. He is trained by Wolf Ridge Stables, much like he was last year, making it the second time that the trainer has won the race. There was a different jockey this time, as C J Hernandez was along for the ride, notching his first win in the LCD Turf. The time of the race was 1:39.53, which is the second fastest time in the stake’s history. Only the late equine Larry Bird, in 2014, shot down a faster time in this event. Let’s take a look!

(1/4 Mile- :23.41)- Out of the gate, Bubble Bubble is the quickest of them all, and the Angelos Stable entry opens up a lead of a length and a half. Initially, it looked like there would be a group of four stalkers, but one would emerge much better than the others approaching the opening turn, and that was Maxmillion Farm’s Louisiana Chicken. After a length, The Tonight Show runs third, and three wide for Rock Creek, and within a length to his inside, are the race’s eventual winner, Chai Danger, who is on the rail for Wolf Ridge Stables, and Asgar’s Cp Good Moon who runs between horses. Trailing are Timber Lacy (T Boy Racing) and Early Man (Arindel).

(1/2 Mile- 46.73)- Around the turn and into the backstretch, the post-time favorite, Bubble Bubble continues to hold the lead while having Louisiana Chicken running just a length behind him. The gap to third was larger, about two lengths, where we find Chai Danger sliding into that spot while along the rail and The Tonight Show still running in three wide. He had not fully cleared Cp Good Moon yet, so could not move over closer to Chai Danger. Timber Lacy is next and part of this pack, and it’s another length to Early Man.

(Top of Stretch, 2F To Go)- The lead still belongs to Bubble Bubble, as he maintains his pace completing the backstretch portion and moving around the turn. He has Louisiana Chicken right behind him, and entering the stretch we began to see that one show his intentions of taking over the top spot. Chai Danger had moved up closer, and was a little less than two lengths from the front while having plenty of room to run along the rail. The new fourth place horse is Timber Lacy, as we see this one handle the tern exceptionally well and pass both Cp Good Moon, who was coming up flat at this point, and The Tonight Show. Was he too far behind Louisiana Chicken and Chai Danger at this point, though. Early Man was more of a late man, and had shown nothing to this point.

(Finish- 1:39.53)- Early in the stretch, both Louisiana Chicken and Chai Danger looked like they would not have a problem getting by Bubble Bubble, but it was only with a little more than a furlong to go that Chai Danger began to make progress on the length deficit he had to Louisiana Chicken. Timber Lacy was coming on, but probably had too much ground to cover. Approaching the wire, Chai Danger was gaining ever so slightly on Louisiana Chicken, and it looked like they would hit the wire at the same time. Would Chai Danger have to settle for a dead heat in this race two straight years? It was a very close photo at the wire, but this time, the stewards could see just a little separation in the photo to declare Chai Danger the outright winner of the race. Louisiana Chicken runs a game second, and that hard charging Timber Lacy actually got within a length, and for that he’ll get his trainer the third place spoils. Bubble Bubble hung on for fourth, two and a half lengths ahead of the rest of the field, which finish as The Tonight Show, Early Man, and Cp Good Moon.

About The Winner- Chai Danger, trained by Wolf Ridge Stables and ridden to victory by C J Hernandez, is a five year old gelding by the late Chai Falls, and is out of House Danger. He was bred in Louisiana by Jive Inc as a yearling, and was acquired by Wolf Ridge Stables, via New Larkhill Stables, for $45.000 in a October 2021 private sale. Congratulations to the connections! The win is his tenth in 38 starts, and his fourth stake win (all LA-bred stakes). His career earnings are now $452.490.

Track: Firm
Time: :23²  :46³  1:09⁴  1:39²

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 2 – 3 Paid 64.40
$1 Trifecta: 2 – 3 – 7 Paid 303.00

Scratched: None

— NS

Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded