Omaha Beach ‘Rising Star’ Accelerize Wins Louisiana Stakes Over Just a Touch

[Wandering Eyes]

Spendthrift Farm and Repole Stable's Accelerize (c, 4, Omaha Beach–Motion Emotion, by Take Charge Indy) tackled a seasoned field in Saturday's 1 1/16-mile GIII Louisiana Stakes at Fair Grounds in just his fourth career start and prevailed in a hard-fought stretch battle. The 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' was making his stakes debut.

Just a Touch (Justify), the 3-5 favorite after returning from six months on the sidelines and multiple Grade I placings, hopped awkwardly out of the Louisiana gate. Meanwhile, Accelerize had left the stalls sharply and went straight to the lead as MGP Tarantino (Pioneerof the Nile), making his first start since an off-the-board finish in the GI Pacific Classic, kept him company, the two vying for command. With Tarantino breathing down his neck, Accelerize kept his cool on the rail through :23.93 and :47.14 fractions as Just a Touch rallied to join the first flight while four wide. Accelerize shook off Tarantino on the far turn, only to be headed and passed by Just a Touch. The game Accelerize, who had swapped to his wrong lead in the stretch, clawed back to the front, sticking his neck in front in the shadow of the wire. Hard-knocking veteran Cadet Corps (Will Take Charge) closed to be another neck back in third.

“On paper it looked like there was a lot of speed, but my horse came from a shorter distance and showed some speed as well,” jockey Flavian Prat, who was winning his third race on the card, told FanDuel TV. “He showed he has some fight in him and [the future] is pretty bright for him.”

Winner on debut last March at Tampa Bay Downs while under the tutelage of Anthony Sciametta, Jr. to get the 'Rising Star' nod, Accelerize went to the bench, only to emerge in November in Todd Pletcher's barn. He needed a start to shake off the rust–he was third as the favorite in an optional allowance at Gulfstream Nov. 16–then came roaring back in a first-level allowance Dec. 14 at a mile at Gulfstream, winning by two lengths with a 90 Beyer Speed Figure. Accelerize was bred by Spendthrift, who sold the colt as a yearling at Keeneland's September sale for $400,000 to Repole Stable, then stayed in for a piece.

Pedigree Notes:

The 2025 leading third-crop sire, Spendthrift Farm's Omaha Beach adds his 27th black-type winner and ninth graded winner with Accelerize's Louisiana win. The colt is inbred 3×3 to Take Charge Lady as the blue hen is both the granddam of Omaha Beach and the dam of Take Charge Indy, Accelerize's broodmare sire. The latter, who stands at WinStar, has seven stakes winners out of his daughters.

Motion Emotion, winner of the 2019 Zia Park Oaks and thrice graded placed, including in the 2020 GII Fleur de Lis Stakes behind Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute), was an $800,000 purchase at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton November sale by Spendthrift. Accelerize was her first foal, with an unnamed 2023 filly by Yaupon, a 2024 colt by Cyberknife, and a yearling filly by Into Mischief following. Spendthrift sold the Cyberknife now-2-year-old at last year's Keeneland September sale for $225,000 to Repole Stable. Bred back to Nyquist for this term, Motion Emotion is from the same extended family as Shared Account (Pleasantly Perfect), a Breeders' Cup winner who produced another Breeders' Cup winner in Sharing (Speightstown).

 

It was a battle down the stretch! #4 ACCELERIZE ($19.00) did not let Just a Touch by in the $175,000 Louisiana Stakes (G3) at @fairgroundsnola. The 4-year-old son of Omaha Beach (@spendthriftfarm) was ridden by Flavian Pratt and trained by Todd Pletcher. @spendthriftfarm owns. pic.twitter.com/0qoBn3Y2FY

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) January 17, 2026

Saturday, Fair Grounds
LOUISIANA S. PRESENTED BY HAGYARD-GIII, $173,250, Fair Grounds, 1-17, 4yo/up, 1 1/16m, 1:43.43, ft.
1–ACCELERIZE, 118, c, 4, by Omaha Beach
              1st Dam: Motion Emotion (SW & MGSP, $542,716),
              by Take Charge Indy
              2nd Dam: Golden Motion, by Smart Strike
              3rd Dam: Golden Tiy, by Dixieland Band
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($400,000
Ylg '23 KEESEP). O-Spendthrift Farm LLC and Repole Stable;
B-Spendthrift Farm, LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Flavien
Prat. $105,000. 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard'
Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-1, $154,480. Werk Nick Rating: A.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the free
Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Just a Touch, 118, h, 5, Justify–Touching Beauty, by Tapit.
($170,000 RNA Ylg '22 KEESEP; $125,000 Ylg '22 FTKOCT;
$300,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR). O-Qatar Racing LLC and Marc
Detampel; B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY); T-Brad H. Cox.
$35,000.
3–Cadet Corps, 118, g, 7, Will Take Charge–Boxford Belle, by
Afleet Alex. O-Kenwood Racing LLC and Kelly J. Breen;
B-Charles Matses (KY); T-Kelly J. Breen. $17,500.
Margins: NK, NK, 2 1/4. Odds: 8.50, 0.90, 36.20.
Also Ran: Willy D's, Sir Greylind, Moonlight, Henro, Tarantino.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

 

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