Graded stakes placed in her last two outings, ORB’s Whoa Nellie added a second stakes victory to her record on Saturday with a win in the Joseph E. Spanky Broussard Memorial Stakes at Fair Grounds. It was her second stakes win in four starts this year with all four 2020 runs resulting in top three finishes in stakes or graded stakes races races.
Trained by Larry Jones for Fox Hill Farms, Whoa Nellie easily handled the mile on the dirt as the race favorite. Breaking from the inside spot, the 4-year-old filly angled to the path outside the leading Beautiful Trauma quickly from the gate. Whoa Nellie kept the pressure on throughout the run with Florent Geroux letting her draw even with Beautiful Trauma around the turn. Holding a small advantage as they rounded into the stretch, Whoa Nellie never let up to pull clear by 3 3/4 lengths in the end.
A $220,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase by Fox Hill Farm from the Paramount Sales consignment, the ORB filly took her earnings to $353,830 with the victory, and has only been out of the money once in 12 starts.
Bred by Doug and Felicia Branham, Whoa Nellie is the first foal out of the winning Medaglia d’Oro mare Allegheny Angel. That mare is out of Grade 1 winner Awesome Humor, who is also the dam of stakes winner Thetrashmanscoming and stakes-placed Keep Me Informed.
Class runs throughout this pedigree with Whoa Nellie’s family also including Grade 1 winners Emcee and Constitution.