NEW ORLEANS – A Californian, albeit a Louisiana-bred, won the last race of the 2024-25 racing season at Fair Grounds. Liberal Lady shipped from Santa Anita for trainer Leonard Powell and captured the $100,000 Shantel Lanerie Memorial by three lengths. The Lanerie was the last of three Louisiana-bred stakes on the Sunday card at Fair Grounds, and, fittingly, jockey Jose Ortiz rode Liberal Lady. Her win gave Ortiz five from 10 mounts on the 12-race card and a whopping 98 for his first full meet at Fair Grounds, 43 more than Jareth Loveberry, who rode the second-most winners. Liberal Lady pressed the pace set by Norah G, easily took command in midstretch and cruised to an easy victory while racing for the first time since Dec. 13 and first in a Louisiana-bred race. She paid $11.40 and ran one mile, 70 yards on a fast dirt track in 1:42.69. Clearly a Test rallied mildly for second, 2 1/2 lengths better than third-place Certified Gem. Powell trains Liberal Lady for Marsha Naify and Liberal Lady, a daughter of Mor Spirit and the Trippi mare Cut Class Trip, was bred by Coteau Grove Farm. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. The other dirt stakes race, the Star Guitar, lost the horse who had been overwhelmingly favored, Touchuponastar, who on Saturday won the $400,000 New Orleans Classic. In his absence, Benoit made an easy lead, turned back a challenge from favored Behemah Star, and pulled away through the final 1 1/2 furlongs for a 3 1/2-length win. Up N Gone earned the place by 1 1/4 lengths over Behemah Star, who’d won the 2024 Star Guitar. James Graham rode Benoit for owner Stacy Moak and trainer Joe Duhon, Benoit clocking 1:44.21 for 1 1/16 miles and paying $8.20 to win. By Closing Argument out of Katiebarthedoor, by English Channel, Benoit was bred by Joseph Tosterud. Shane Wilson trains Behemah Star and Clearly a Test, and sandwiched between their third- and second-place finishes Wilson sent out Rue Lala to land the $100,000 Page Cortez, a turf sprint for older fillies and mares. Seven-year-old Rue Lala, a Brittlyn Stable homebred, had finished second in her last three starts and hadn’t won in nearly 15 months, but she swept to a two-length score over Eye of the Pharoah under Jose Guerrero. Eye of the Pharoah, rallying from last of 10, had 1 1/2 lengths on third-place Tommie G at the finish. Rue Lala ($17.40), is by Star Guitar out of Miss Addison, by Orientate, and clocked 1:04.38 for 5 1/2 furlongs over a firm course while winning for just the fifth time in 29 starts. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.