RUNHAPPY’s stakes winning son Happy American went one better on Saturday with a victory in the Louisiana Stakes (G3) to become his sire’s third graded stakes winner.
The 5-year-old was more than happy to settle off the pace in the 1 1/16 mile dirt race with the field spread out down the backstretch. As they raced into the far turn, Happy American showed a huge turn of foot to make a big move inside another horse as he challenged for the lead.
Determined to get to the front, Happy American set down for a long duel and got his neck in front just before the wire to win by a neck with RUNHAPPY’s Run Classic also finishing fourth.
The winner of the Listed Tenacious Stakes last out, Happy American has won five of his starts with four other top three finishes for $437,376 in earnings. Trained by Neil Pessin, the Claiborne Farm-bred runner was a $385,000 Keeneland September Yearling purchase by racing owner Lothenbach Stables.
Happy American is one of three graded stakes winners and five stakes winners out of the Quiet American mare Queen Of America. Among those is Grade 2 winner and multiple Grade 1 placed Well Monied, the granddam of Grade 3 winner and multiple Grade 1 placed Will’s Secret. Another one Happy American’s half-sisters produced LEA’s Grade 3 winner Gibberish.
Quiet American mares have produced three winners from three to race by RUNHAPPY with one of the other two finishing fourth in a stakes.
RUNHAPPY’s 11 career stakes winners is fifth best among all fourth crop sires with his 17 stakes performer seventh best in his generation with two of those placing at the Grade 1 level.