Even chasing a loose leader who set a slow pace, Fair Grounds-turf-loving Gigante proved too much for the opposition in the $100,000 Buddy Diliberto Memorial Stakes on Saturday. Swiftsure went an opening half-mile in a glacial 50.95, yet still had no answer when Gigante and Jose Ortiz came with their run past the quarter pole. Gigante swept past and had little trouble holding clear Idratherbeblessed in posting a one-length victory. Eight-year-old Another Mystery finished with verve to get third, a half-length out of second after closing from last, albeit in a five-runner field. Gigante came into the Diliberto, a 1 1/16-mile grass race for older horses, with six wins and earnings over $1 million, and the 4-year-old has demonstrated a particular fondness for the Fair Grounds grass course. After besting fellow 3-year-olds in the Woodchopper about one year ago, Gigante went on to finish a solid fourth facing older horses in the Grade 3 Fair Grounds Stakes, following that with a career best, a second-place showing in the Grade 2 Muniz Memorial, the most important grass race of the meet. :: Bet with the Best! Get FREE All-Access PPs and Weekly Cashback when you wager on DRF Bets. “Very pleased to have him back at Fair Grounds,” said Steve Asmussen, who trains Gigante for Iapetus Racing and Diamond T Racing. Gigante clocked 1:45.62 over firm going and paid $3.80 as the favorite. Gigante is by Not This Time out of the Empire Maker mare Summertime Green, and was bred in Virginia by Ann Mudge Backer and Smitten Farm. Ortiz also won the card’s first grass stakes, the $100,000 Blushing K.D., giving Stir Crazy a perfect pocket trip. Stir Crazy, rallying inside, collared Join the Dance, who had set a slow pace, in the final furlong and pushed clear to a half-length victory. Autism Community finished another 2 1/2 lengths back in third, with favored Lute Warm dull throughout and last of six. Mike Maker trains Stir Crazy for Paradise Farms and David Staudacher, current connections having claimed the 6-year-old mare for $35,000 in August 2023. Stir Crazy didn’t hit peak form until earlier this year, her winner’s share of Saturday’s purse pushing her 2024 earnings over $300,000. After missing by a head in Indiana over the summer, Stir Crazy won her first stakes race. Bred in Kentucky by Royal Oak Farm, Stir Crazy is by Vancouver out of Mentally Unstable, by Good Reward. She paid $5.60 as the second choice and was timed in 1:44.77 for 1 1/16 miles. In the $100,000 Richie Scherer Memorial, Bear River darted straight to the lead under Axel Concepcion and proved uncatchable, winning the turf sprint by 2 1/2 lengths over Minnesota Ready. Favored Panther Island had a favorable stalking trip and came up empty in the homestretch. Bear River, trained by Keith Desormeaux for Charles Marquis, was making his 13th start of his 3-year-old campaign, still fresh and sharp after a busy year’s racing that began in January at Fair Grounds. Bear River won two in a row over the summer in races where he was able to establish a clear early lead, and after failing to find the front by the first call in his four most recent outings, he demonstrated again his preference for setting the pace. Off a half-mile in a moderate 45.90, Bear River ran 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:03.61 and paid $13.20. A ridgling, Bear River is by Flameaway out of Sixtyfivenorth, by Midshipman. Bred in Kentucky by Dreamfields Farm, Don Brady, and Brendan Burke, Bear River won for the seventh time in 18 starts. The $50,000 2-year-old auction purchase is approaching $400,000 in career earnings. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.