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Trainer Larry Jones had the longest shot on the board and the shortest price on the board in the $75,000 Louisiana Handicap, expected to be an easy return spot at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots for his 3-5 favorite Albano off the layup. But it was Hard Aces, a 5-year-old son of Hard Spun owned by Jones and his partners (racing under the stable name Dreamchaser Thorobreds), who sprung the upset at odds of 9-1 in a field of five with his sweeping move to claim the 1-1/16-mile event. It was his first stakes score, earned off a runner-up finish in the Dec. 21 Tenacious Stakes. "This horse had a really good race over this track about three weeks ago [second in the Tenacious] and with Albano coming off that long layoff, I thought if ever there was a chance this horse could beat Albano, it was today, so we took a shot," Jones said. "Albano, he'll be back." Under jockey Jose Riquelme, Hard Aces dropped to the back of the group as Nates Mineshaft set out for the early lead. The pacesetter went a quarter in :23.47 seconds and a half in :47.17 seconds while Grand Contender followed about three lengths back. Albano raced third and would finish in that position. Set down for the drive around the final turn through three-quarters in 1:12.07, Hard Aces closed from last to first with an outside rally and drew away while running a 1:37.85 mile to finish in 1:44.61. Fordubai was four lengths back in second, with Albano completing the trifecta. Hard Aces paid $20.60, $5.80, and $2.60 while Fordubai brought $7.40 and $3 with Albano returning $2.10. Bred in Kentucky by Dreamchaser Thorobreds from of the Quiet American mare All in With Aces, Hard Aces improved his record to 5-3-6 from 19 starts.
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