NEW ORLEANS (Thursday, December 17, 2009) – Richard, Bertram and Elaine Klein’s Country Day broke in stride to make the pace and increased the margin rapidly in the late stages to win Thursday’s $47,000 five and a half-furlong Fair Grounds feature by six lengths.

Ridden by Shaun Bridgmohan and trained by Steve Margolis, who was recording his eighth win from 15 starts at the meeting, Country Day notched early splits of 22.56 and 45.84 before tripping the final time of 1:03.38 over the track rated ‘sloppy.’ The winner paid mutuels of $9.60, $4.60 and $3.60 while increasing his career earnings to $84,829 with his third victory in seven lifetime starts.

Maggi Moss’s Biglie Smallworld, who pressed the pace most of the way, held down the second spot at the wire while finishing a neck to the good of Stonestreet Stables’ Heavenly Chorus.

Biglie Smallworld paid $5.80 and $3.80 and Heavenly Chorus returned $6.40 to show.

Racing resumes Friday at Fair Grounds with a 12-race program beginning at 12:30 p.m. and continues Saturday with its Santa Super Saturday extravaganza – featuring nine-stakes races on a 13-race program with a first post of 12 noon.