Her performance might not have been dominant, but it was sufficient, as Free Like a Girl won her 21st race, capturing the $100,000 John Valene Memorial by three-quarters of a length Saturday at Fair Grounds. Free Like a Girl landed the Valene at odds of 2-5 but wasn’t nearly the shortest-priced winner among four Louisiana-bred stakes races Saturday. In the first, the $100,000 Donovan Ferguson Memorial, Secret Faith easily overcame a tough trip, winning by six lengths at odds of 1-10. The two other stakes produced far less obvious outcomes. Geaux Sugar, a 21-1 shot, led from start to finish, holding on by a head in the $100,000 Andrew Ney Memorial. One race later, 9-1 Cosmic Train rallied from last of 10 to land the $100,000 Jacob Morreale Memorial by the same margin. Free Like a Girl capped the day’s proceedings by adding to her massive bankroll, which now sits just short of $2.1 million, a Louisiana-bred record. Steadied in tight quarters going around the first turn in the Valene, Free Like a Girl worked into the clear by the half-mile pole and had a fast pace in front of her. She wore down the leaders in midstretch and withstood a late surge from Clearly a Test to notch a popular victory. Trained by Chasey Pomier, who owns the mare in partnership with Gerald Bruno and Jerry Caroom, Free Like a Girl ran one mile, 70 yards on a fast track in 1:43.41 and paid $2.80. Bred by Kim Renee Stover and Lisa Osborne, 5-year-old Free Like a Girl is by El Deal out of Flashy Prize, by Flashy Bull. :: Bet with the Best! Get FREE All-Access PPs and Weekly Cashback when you wager on DRF Bets. Scratches left just four runners in the Ferguson, a six-furlong race for 2-year-old fillies, but Secret Faith still found trouble. Breaking on top, jockey C.J. McMahon initially held his spot on the rail, about a half-length behind pacesetting Mischief Princess, but by the half-mile pole McMahon had let Mischief Princess have the lead to herself, Secret Faith going around the turn behind her while locked on the rail. McMahon tried to split horses at the quarter pole, couldn’t get through, steered to the fence, again couldn’t find room, and came back outside Mischief Princess, finally working his way into the clear when Warrior’s Princess drifted out. With room to operate, Secret Faith made quick work of overmatched foes, running her record to five wins from five starts. With a snappy final furlong Secret Faith was timed in 1:11.05 while returning the lowest possible win payoff, $2.10. By Aurelius Maximus out of the Macho Uno mare St. Jean, Secret Faith campaigns for the Norman Stables and is trained by Jayde Gelner. Bred by J Adcock and Hume Wornall, the filly has scored four of her five wins by at least six lengths. Nothing nearly so dominant came in the two races not restricted to females. In the Ney, Geaux Sugar broke like a rocket under Mitchell Murrill and had just enough left to hold clear onrushing El Dinero, who finished well clear of third-place Bron and Brow in this six-furlong dirt contest. Claimed for just $10,000 four starts and six months ago by owner Single Malt Stables and trainer Keith Bourgeois, Geaux Sugar won for the eighth time in 16 starts, clocking a fast 1:09.93. By Half Ours out of Fifolet, by Stormy Atlantic, Geaux Sugar paid $45.20. In the Morreale, Cosmic Train came from nowhere to prove narrowly best in a race where only a little more than one length separated the first five finishers. Last of 10 turning for home while hugging the rail under Jose Ortiz, Cosmic Train wound up out in the middle of the track getting up in the final couple strides. Tdzshininluckystar was a tough-luck second, three-quarters of a length in front of third-place Behemah Star. Trained by Jerry Delhomme for Delanie Calais Jr., Cosmic Train is a 5-year-old son of Klimt and the Any Given Saturday mare Cosmic Emergency. He ran one mile, 70 yards in 1:43.25 and paid $16.20 – vastly more than the two stakes-winning fillies Saturday at Fair Grounds. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.