Longshot Peace Rules Dominates at Big Easy

A California shipper won the $750,000 Louisiana Derby on Sunday at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans, but it wasn’t the one most people expected.

Peace Rules, who had done all of his prior winning on the turf, dominated what was supposed to be a showdown between Kafwain and Badge Of Silver.

Owned by Ed Gann and trained by Bobby Frankel, the 9-1 shot tracked the pace set by Funny Cide, relinquished the lead to favorite and previously unbeaten Badge Of Silver at the top of the long stretch, but found more and drew away late under jockey Edgar Prado.

Winning for the fourth time in seven starts, the son of Jules completed the 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.67 while beating Kafwain, the 7-5 second choice, by 2 1/4 lengths.

The future book favorite for the Kentucky Derby going into the Grade II, Kafwain, who had won the seven-furlong San Vicente at Santa Anita in his first race as a 3-year-old, had no visible excuses. He has lost three of his four starts around two turns.

A winner of his previous three races by a combined 26 lengths, Badge Of Silver, the 6-5 favorite, weakened badly in the final eighth of a mile and finished sixth.

“It’s too early to give up on him, that’s for sure,” said Ronny Werner, Badge Of Silver’s trainer. “If he comes out of this all right and we don’t find anything wrong, we’re going to keep going.”

Entered and scratched from the San Rafael Stakes at Santa Anita on March 1, Peace Rules was also considered for Saturday’s El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields, which was won by Ocean Terrace, before winding up at New Orleans.

Mervin Muniz, the Fair Grounds’ director of racing and racing secretary, sold Frankel on the idea by phone.

“Every time I hit this colt he gave me a little more,” said Prado. “He galloped out well and wasn’t breathing hard, so I have to think he can go on.”

Frankel, who will try to win the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park on Saturday with Empire Maker, indicated Peace Rules, who had been idle since Dec. 28, could return in the Lexington Stakes on April 12 at Keeneland.

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Starrer, the 8-5 favorite, made it two Grade I wins in a row when beating pacesetter Sightseek by two lengths to win the $300,000 Santa Margarita Handicap at Santa Anita.

Owned by George Krikorian and trained by John Shirreffs, the 5-year-old Dyanformer mare, who had captured the Santa Maria three weeks ago, won for the sixth time in 20 starts.

She completed the 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.20 under leading jockey Patrick Valenzuela, who had two other wins Sunday.

In a field reduced to five after Affluent was scratched by trainer Ron McAnally because of a fever, Sightseek finished three lengths clear of Bella Bellucci, who ran out of steam in the final eighth of a mile after making a bid for the lead into the stretch, then came Got Koko, the 2-1 second choice who had swept the track’s La Canada series for 4-year-old fillies, and Printemps.

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Dumped in the post parade for the ninth race by Memogram, who was scheduled to make her debut in the $40,000 claimer for 3-year-old maiden fillies, jockey Gary Stevens escaped serious injury at Santa Anita.

Stevens hit the ground hard after the daughter of Memo reared. She was scratched and the Hall of Fame rider was taken to first aid but returned to the jockey’s room a short time later.