TurfPublicists: Stakes Recap: Joyful Victory Outduels Ravi's Song in Tiffany Lass

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Contact: Jim Mulvihill, Communications and Pari-Mutuel Marketing Manager, 504.948.1233, james.mulvihill@fgno.com

Contact: Graham Ross, Staff Writer, 504.948.1255, graham.ross@fgno.com

joyful victory returns in pink in fg’s tiffany lass

By Graham Ross, Staff Writer

NEW ORLEANS (Saturday, February 11, 2012) – Fox Hill Farms’ Joyful Victory, asked to show a second effort when passed by Mrs. Yoshio Fujita’s Ravi’s Song in mid-stretch of Saturday’s $75,000 Tiffany Lass Stakes at Fair Grounds, responded to that request with a courageous half-length tally in the New Orleans oval’s featured race of the weekend.

“I knew Ravi’s Song was coming with a head of momentum and I’ve never seen this mare get in that kind of position,” said winning trainer Larry Jones, “but I was very proud to see her second effort to come back and she gutted it out. It was a good effort. At Oaklawn (last year) whenever she got the lead, she’d be gone.”

Seven-time Fair Grounds riding champion Robby Albarado was aboard Joyful Victory.

“When she finally did (see Ravi’s Song coming) she put in that second effort,” Albarado said. “That was the deciding factor at the wire.”

Joyful Victory, who won Oaklawn’s Grade II Fantasy and Grade III Honeybee last winter to earn the favorite’s mantle in last spring’s Grade I Kentucky Oaks, returned mutuels of $3.80, $2.40 and $2.10 in the Tiffany Lass, toured the 1 1/16-mile distance in 1:45.09 and increased her career earnings to $240,068 with her fourth career victory in 10 lifetime starts.

Gallant in defeat was Ravi’s Song, heroine of Fair Grounds’ $100,000 New Orleans Ladies last year. The Carl Bowman trainee ran her race for apprentice jockey C. J. McMahon but it just wasn’t good enough.

“I had the perfect trip all the way around,” McMahon said of Ravi’s Song, who paid $3.80 and $2.40. “She just got outrun.”

Finishing third in the Tiffany Lass, five lengths farther back, was William and Graydon Patterson’s Juanita, who made the pace with fractions of 24.49 and 48.67 before weakening against the top two late. She returned $2.20 for the show position.

Racing resumes Sunday at Fair Grounds with a 10-race program beginning at 12:40 p.m.

FULL STAKES QUOTES

February 11, Race 9-$75,000 Tiffany Lass Stakes

Fillies and mares, 4 and up, 1 1/16 miles, 26^th running

Jockey Robby Albarado (Joyful Victory, winner): “When I got her out there, it was a race from that point on. Larry said ‘Don’t guzzle her, don’t get in a fight with her, just let her run along.’ He said she’d out-gallop them and that she did.”

Did you see Ravi’s Song? “I was aware but I don’t know if my mare saw her coming. When she finally did she put in that second effort late. That was the deciding factor at the wire.”

Trainer Larry Jones (Joyful Victory, winner): “I knew that Ravi’s Song was coming with a head of momentum and I’ve never seen this mare get in that kind of position, but I was very proud to see her second effort to come back and she gutted it out.

“I knew this race wasn’t as easy as that $75,000 tag that was put on it. They got their money’s worth here at Fair Grounds today. There were some good horses in here to have to outrun. I am glad we got it done.”

What’s next? “I’ll get with Mr. Porter number one. We will keep Joyful Victory and Havre de Grace away from each other, but you are going to see one of them here, I can assure you of that.”

“I was awful proud of that second effort because I didn’t know, she’d never had to show me that. At Oaklawn when she’d make the lead she’d just be gone and, as Terry Wallace would say, she would just flee the scene.

“This was a good bunch of horses. We knew this was a tough bunch for $75,000 and the Fair Grounds got their money’s worth today.

“Robby, thank goodness he was heads up enough. He took her out there so where she could get right up against her (the charging Ravi’s Song) and know she was there. If she couldn’t see her she could feel her presence. And that was a very quality filly that ran second and normally when she makes the lead she’s the one that’s gone. So I was awfully impressed that our filly had that kind of constitution.”

Apprentice jockey C.J. McMahon (Ravi’s Song, second): “When the other horse saw me – the other horse had the extended blinker on – when she saw me she just fought back harder. I had the perfect trip all the way around; she just got outrun.”

About Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots

Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, the nation’s third-oldest racetrack, has been in operation since 1872. Located in New Orleans, Fair Grounds is owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ Global Select Market: CHDN); it also operates a slot-machine gaming facility and 10 off-track betting parlors throughout southeast Louisiana. The 140th Thoroughbred Racing Season continues through April 1, 2012, highlighted by the $1 million Louisiana Derby for Kentucky Derby hopefuls on April 1. More information can be found online at www.FairGroundsRaceCourse.com.

-FG-

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James J. Mulvihill
Communications & Pari-Mutuel Marketing Manager
Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots
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