RUNHAPPY’s Happy Is a Choice became his sire’s newest stakes winner on Saturday with a win in the Louisville Thoroughbred Society Stakes at Churchill Downs.
Happy Is a Choice raced nearly five lengths off the leader early in the six-furlong dirt race when racing four paths wide down the backstretch. Sent even wider into the stretch, he targeted the clear leader at that point and slowly ran that horse down.
He got the lead just in time, winning by a neck for a fifth career victory. Trained by John Ortiz for Hooties Racing, WSS Racing, and 4G Racing, Happy Is a Choice has hit the board in eight of his 11 starts.
The Builder’s Mart-bred is one of five winners from five to race with his siblings including FIRST SAMURAI’s 16-time winner Gran King of Kings. Their dam Fast Alexia is a half-sister to multiple Grade 3 winner Florida One and stakes placed Grand Journey in addition to the dam of multiple stakes placed Spicy Marg.
This is also the family of Grade 1 winners Shackleford and Lady Joanne among others.
This is the fifth stakes winner of the year for RUNHAPPY, tying him with stallions such as BLAME, Speightstown, Maclean’s Music, and Pioneerof the Nile.