Lecomte Undercard: Mr. Misunderstood in Colonel Bradley

Before 3-year-olds command the spotlight Jan. 18 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in the $150,000 Silverbulletday Stakes and the $200,000 Lecomte Stakes (G3), the track's local turf series for older male routers begins with the $125,000 Colonel E. R. Bradley Handicap.

The first of three such stakes this year in the division, followed by the $150,000 Fair Grounds Stakes (G3T) Feb. 15 and ending with the $300,000 Muniz Memorial Classic (G2T) March 21, the Bradley drew multiple graded stakes winner Mr. Misunderstood and 13 others, though the race is unlikely to maintain its full field. Six entrants were also entered in the $100,000 Louisiana Stakes (G3), many of which figure to race there if the Bradley remains on the turf.

As of midday Tuesday, the National Weather Service called for a chance of scattered showers in New Orleans on Saturday.

A nine-time stakes winner for Staton Flurry's Flurry Racing Stables, Mr. Misunderstood didn't connect last year until his fifth and final start of his 5-year-old season when he took the $175,000 River City Handicap (G3T) at Churchill Downs Nov. 16—a race he also won in 2018. Sidelined the winter of 2018-19 with pneumonia, there had been some question whether he could return to his excellent prior form.

Competing over one of his favorite grass courses at Churchill, where he is 5-for-6, he delivered under Florent Geroux, defeating a cast that trainer Brad Cox felt was as skilled and as deep as any field the Archarcharch gelding had ever beaten.

The River City "was a good test to see where we stand and if he still has it. He showed us today he still has it," Geroux said following the November race.

Video: River City H. (G3T)

Geroux returns for a race over a Fair Grounds turf course over which Mr. Misunderstood has a record of three wins, a second, and a fourth in five starts. The gelding won the Woodchopper Stakes at Fair Grounds in December 2017.

Mr. Misunderstood breaks from the far outside post in the race at about 1 1/16 miles.

Heading the opposition are three stakes winners trained by Mike Maker: Space Mountain, Temple, and Parlor. Space Mountain took the Remington Green Stakes at Remington Park last year, Temple the Gio Ponti Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack, and Parlor the Glasgow Stakes at Delaware Park for prior trainer Eddie Kenneally.

Also Saturday at Fair Grounds is the sister race to the Bradley, the $100,000 Marie G. Krantz Memorial Stakes for older fillies and mares at about 1 1/16-miles on turf, and $100,000 Duncan F. Kenner Stakes at six furlongs on dirt.

Though the Kenner drew just five, there is quality in Bobby's Wicked One, Hog Creek Hustle, and Do Share—all graded stakes winners in 2019. Bobby's Wicked One captured the Commonwealth Stakes (G3) last spring at Keeneland, Hog Creek Hustle the Woody Stephens Stakes (G1) on Belmont Stakes Day, and Do Share the Tom Fool Handicap (G3) in March at Aqueduct.

Bobby's Wicked One, 4-for-5 at Fair Grounds, including the Thanksgiving Classic Stakes Nov. 28, is the expected favorite over late-running Hog Creek Hustle, who makes his first start since a sixth-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) Nov. 2 at Santa Anita Park.

Carded as race 2 on the 13-race card, post time for the Kenner is early at 1:29 ET before the stakes action picks back up later afternoon with the Krantz as race 9.  

Entries: Colonel E. R. Bradley S.

Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Saturday, January 18, 2020, Race 11

• STK
• About 1 1/16m
• Turf
• $125,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 4:52 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Tone Broke (ON)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	118	Steven M. Asmussen	15/1
2	2My Boy Jack (KY)	James Graham	118	J. Keith Desormeaux	12/1
3	3Blended Citizen (KY)	David Godoy Garcia	118	Brad H. Cox	6/1
4	4Dontblamerocket (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	118	Norm W. Casse	12/1
5	5Space Mountain (KY)	Corey J. Lanerie	118	Michael J. Maker	12/1
6	6Silver Dust (KY)	Jack Gilligan	118	W. Bret Calhoun	8/1
7	7Sailing Solo (KY)	Mitchell Murrill	118	Louie J. Roussel, III	15/1
8	8Temple (KY)	Colby J. Hernandez	122	Michael J. Maker	12/1
9	9Midnight Tea Time (KY)	Adam Beschizza	118	Joe Sharp	12/1
10	10Parlor (KY)	Joseph Talamo	118	Michael J. Maker	10/1
11	11Factor This (KY)	Shaun Bridgmohan	118	Brad H. Cox	8/1
12	12Captivating Moon (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	118	Chris M. Block	8/1
13	13Roiland (KY)	Diego Saenz	118	Thomas M. Amoss	20/1
14	14Mr. Misunderstood (KY)	Florent Geroux	124	Brad H. Cox	7/2

Entries: Duncan F. Kenner S.

Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Saturday, January 18, 2020, Race 2

• STK
• 6f
• Dirt
• $100,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 12:29 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Hog Creek Hustle (KY)	Corey J. Lanerie	124	Vickie L. Foley	9/5
2	2Bobby's Wicked One (KY)	Miguel Mena	124	Albert M. Stall, Jr.	7/5
3	3Malpais (KY)	Gabriel Saez	118	Joe Sharp	6/1
4	4Do Share (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	124	Norm W. Casse	5/1
5	5Pete's Play Call (MD)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	122	Michael J. Maker	6/1