NEW ORLEANS – Blue Fire won her fourth race from four starts at this long Fair Grounds meet when she led from start to finish under Jose Ortiz in the $100,000 Crescent City Oaks on Saturday. Blue Fire debuted last fall at Horseshoe Indianapolis and finished sixth in a sprint maiden. That was no more than a warm-up for Louisiana-bred competition during the fall, winter, and early spring. Blue Fire won a sprint maiden race here in November, beat divisional star Secret Faith in the Louisiana Champions Day Lassie, lost a head to that rival at Delta Downs in February, and on March 1 was an easy winner of the Louisiana Broodmare of the Year Flashy Prize Stakes over one mile at Fair Grounds. Three weeks later, and stretched out to one mile, 70 yards, Blue Fire ran at least as well. After acting up slightly in the starting gate, she broke sharply under Ortiz and had made a clear lead into the first turn, setting a strong pace, 23.65 and 47.32, while racing unchallenged. Powdered Sugar, who sat just behind Blue Fire the first six furlongs, came off the fence at the quarter pole and tried to make a race of it, but Blue Fire turned her back, then held off mild challenges from Margie’s Intention and Canal Street to win by 1 1/4 lengths. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. Margie’s Intention finished second, a neck in front of Canal Street. Blue Fire was timed in 1:42.97 over a fast track and paid $4 as the narrow favorite over Margie’s Intention. Steve Asmussen trains Blue Fire for Stonestreet Stables and Peter Leidel. The filly is by Aurelius Maximus out of Mystic Blue, by Maimonides, and was bred by J Adcock and Nathan Granger. Asmussen said Blue Fire could make her next start in the $600,000 Eight Belles, a one-turn mile at Churchill Downs on May 3. Crescent City Derby Sippin On Gin ran his route-race record to three wins from three starts in the $100,000 Crescent City Derby – but only barely. Sneaking up the rail under Axel Concepcion, Sippin On Gin won a tight photo with 57-1 shot He’s Late Again, who made a sustained wide rally from the back of a 14-horse field and fell just short. Classic Time got a perfect pocket trip but could not quite muster the needed rally when taken outside for a homestretch run, finishing third, just a neck from second. Concepcion, sitting mid-pack, maneuvered his mount into the space along the fence created when Classic Time vacated the rail, barely got through a narrow gap between the rail and pacesetting A Million Moons past the three-sixteenths pole, and, after looking like a sure winner at the furlong grounds, was all-out to prevail. Sippin On Gin, bred and owned by Chester Thomas’ Allied Racing Stable and trained by Bret Calhoun, finished a decent closing third debuting in a Louisiana-bred sprint maiden Dec. 14. He cleared the maiden ranks about one month later in a maiden route, then scored a 25-1 upset last month in the Louisiana Stallion of the Year Star Guitar Stakes. His victory Saturday was far less surprising, Sippin On Gin paying $11.20 as the 9-2 third choice. Sippin On Gin was timed in 1:45.24 for 1 1/16 miles over a fast track. Sippin On Gin is by Mr. Money out of High On Gin, by Fury Kapcori. His connections sweated out the photo finish, then raised a glass after the Crescent City Derby. Costa Rising Stakes Eight races and 10 months after being claimed for a mere $10,000, Geaux Sugar still is hitting that sweet spot. Geaux Sugar on Nov. 23 won the first sprint stakes this meet for older Louisiana-bred sprinters, the Andrew Ney Memorial on dirt, and on Saturday he won the last of them, going wire to wire over the Fair Grounds grass course in the $100,000 Costa Rising Stakes. Mitchell Murrill rode the winner for trainer Keith Bourgeois, who, on behalf of Ralph Cox’s Single Malt Stables, claimed Geaux Sugar last May at Evangeline Downs. The returns came quickly, a win six weeks later under Louisiana-bred second-level allowance conditions, but that was just the start. Bourgeois then freshened Geaux Sugar awaiting plentiful opportunities during fall, winter, and early spring, and Geaux Sugar has delivered. After capturing the Ney, he won the Louisiana Champions Day Sprint, posting a sparkling 98 Beyer Speed Figure, and after two close seconds in Fair Grounds and Delta Downs dirt sprint stakes, Geaux Sugar, back on turf for the first time since June, got back in the win column. In a race seemingly packed with pace players, Geaux Sugar proved fleetest of the fleet, setting splits of 21.90 and 45.02 on the way to a final time of 1:03.19 for 5 1/2 furlongs over a firm course. Never challenged, he held firm through the homestretch to win by 1 3/4 lengths. Monsieur Candy, racing for the first time since June, won a blanket finish for second with Marks Promise third. Geaux Sugar ($6.80 as the favorite) is by Half Ours out of Fifolet, by Stormy Atlantic. He won for the 10th time in 20 starts and has earned more than $253,000 since being claimed. The Costa Rising was icing on the cake. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.