By Melissa Bauer-Herzog

Upset in the Louisiana Derby

It was a surprise in the Grade 2 Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby on Saturday when 22-1 shot By My Standards (USA) (Goldencents {USA}) pulled an upset to earn 100 points toward the Kentucky Derby.

By My Standards had only been a maiden winner before this race, breaking his maiden in his last start at the track by 4 1/4 lengths. But in his stakes debut, By My Standards looked like a professional down the straight when he battled second favourite Spinoff (USA) (Hard Spun {USA}).

That rival didn’t give in easily, testing By My Standards nearly to the line, a test that will do well to prepare him for the Kentucky Derby in six weeks’ time. Race favourite War Of Will (USA) (War Front {USA}), who had won the first two legs of the Fair Grounds Kentucky Derby trail finished ninth

The race was even more special for the colt’s connections with his owner Allied Racing Stable winning their first career graded race and getting their 100th victory overall after making their first start in 2012.

Girl power in Fair Grounds Oaks

A race that has produced six Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks winners and multiple on-the-board finishers since 2000, it was all about the girls in this edition with Sophie Doyle guiding home Street Band (USA) (Istan {USA}).

Now the winner of three of her eight starts, Street Band was just behind the heavy race favourite Serengeti Empress (USA) (Alternation {USA}) for much of the race. As Serengeti Empress started to fade, Liora (USA) (Candy Ride {Arg}) took over the lead as Doyle got her filly into the clear. Once she was on the outside of the leader, Street Band clicked into another gear and won going away.

Awarded 100 Kentucky Oaks points for this victory, Street Band is a granddaughter of Minstrel’s Lassie (USA) (The Minstrel {CAN}). The mare is a half-sister to the granddam of three-time Australian Group 1 winner Manighar (Fr) (Linamix {Fr}) and Listed Breeders’ Plate winner Khan (Exceed And Excel).

Pegasus turf hero returns a winner

Away from the races since winning over $2.5 million when taking out the inaugural Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes in January, Bricks and Mortar (USA) (Giant’s Causeway {USA}) returned a winner in the Grade 2 Muniz Memorial Handicap.

Sent off as the heavy favourite, the race was expected to be an easy one for the 4-year-old but turned out to be a knock out duel to the wire. The colt tried to put Markitoff (USA) (Giant's Causeway {USA}) away throughout the stretch but the 62 – 1 shot refused to yield throughout the stretch with a head bob determining the winner.

By former Australian shuttle sire Giant’s Causeway (USA) (Storm Cat {USA}), Bricks And Mortar has now won seven of his nine starts. He is a half-brother to two stakes winners and hails from the family of successful sires Pioneerof the Nile (USA) (Empire Maker {USA}), who passed away earlier this week, and the late Indian Charlie (USA) (In Excess {Ire})

Dead heat for Bode

It’s rare to have a dead heat in a stakes race but WinStar Farm’s Bodemeister (USA) (Empire Maker {USA}) took it one step further on Saturday when siring both winners of the Listed Any Limit Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

It was a first stakes victory for both Brunette Princess (USA) and Miss Marcela (USA), with the 3-year-old fillies giving the stallion his 10th and 11th stakes winners respectively. Brunette Prince is trained by Gustavo Delgado and Miss Marcela is trained by Antonio Sano.

Bodemeister stands for $25,000 in 2019 and has four crops of racing age. The stallion sired Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming (USA) in his first crop.