Game Effort Lifts Accelerize in Louisiana Stakes

The connections of Accelerize signed him up for a lot of firsts Jan. 17 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots and the lightly raced 4-year-old son of Omaha Beach proved up to task. Racing for Spendthrift Farm and Repole Stable in the Louisiana Stakes (G3) Saturday, which marked just his fourth career start, Accelerize was making his seasonal debut, his stakes debut, and the longest start of his career. He secured the lead and inside position early, and despite posting fast fractions proved up to the test when challenged by race favorite Just a Touch in the stretch to post a neck victory in the 1 1/16-mile test for older horses. With Flavien Prat up, Accelerize completed a quarter-mile in :23.93 and half-mile in :47.14 while being challenged by longshot Tarantino. Just a Touch, sent off at 4-5, raced fourth but wide through the backstretch and into the far turn. Still, Just a Touch, a grade 1-placed son of Justify, sustained his rally and briefly seized the advantage in early stretch. But Accelerize had something left, regrouped, and powered to the line, completing the race in 1:43.43 on the fast track. Accelerize is trained by Todd Pletcher, who sent out a winner in the Louisiana for the first time; denying Brad Cox, trainer of Just a Touch, his sixth win in the race since 2019. Earlier on the card veteran Kupuna secured his first stakes win since 2024 when the 7-year-old son of Hard Spun rallied from ninth to post a 1 1/4-length victory over 3-2 favorite Lagynos in the $100,000 Colonel E. R. Bradley Stakes. Kupuna entered off a runner-up finish in the Dec. 20 Buddy Diliberto Memorial Stakes on the same course and at the same distance. In his seasonal debut Saturday, Kupuna completed the race in 1:42.37 under Luis Saez on firm turf. Kupuna is trained by Norm Casse for Flying P Stable. Medoro, a twice-grade 1-placed grade 3 winner in Southern California, successfully shipped to New Orleans, rallying from an early fifth to post a three-quarter-length victory in the $100,000 Marie G. Krantz Memorial Stakes. Trained by Peter Eurton and with Jose Ortiz up, the 5-year-old daughter of Honor Code completed the 1 1/16-mile test for older fillies and mare in 1:42.17 on firm turf. Usually Wrong, who captured a pair of stakes sprinting on the turf last year at Lone Star Park, opened 2026 with a record-setting victory in the $100,000 Duncan F. Kenner Stakes. A homebred for BG Stables and Selman Shaby, the 5-year-old son of Lookin At Lucky seized the early advantage and drew off in the stretch to score by 2 3/4 lengths. Trained by Robertino Diodoro, Usually Wrong completed the 5 1/2-furlong test for older horses in a course record 1:01.63 on the firm turf. Isaac Castillo was up.