Risen Star, Rosie and The Ruby Slipper

The Risen Star Stakes (past edition above) is the featured race on Saturday's card at Fair Grounds. (Photo by Eclipse Sportswire)
The cobwebs are clearing from my head, the beads are mostly out of the street (they’re never entirely out of the trees), just in time for a huge weekend of Kentucky Derby prep races.
“Rosie Day” has officially been declared at the Fair Grounds, and I have a recommendation for dining before the races in New Orleans. 
Of the top 30 horses with points toward qualifying for the Kentucky Derby, 12 are racing Saturday or Sunday, with plenty of other contenders involved.
Oaklawn Park will finally get in its Southwest Stakes, postponed from Monday by snow and ice, with 10 points available to the winner. Ramping up the points to be awarded considerably, with 50 available for the winner of each race, are the Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park and the Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds.
With six stakes races happening in New Orleans, the track would already be hopping. Considering Saturday, Feb. 21 has also been declared “Rosie Day,” it should reach a fever pitch ... early.
Rosie Napravnik, a four-time leading rider at Fair Grounds, will kick off the day around the time of the first post by signing 500 photos that “can be personalized and autographed” from 12:30 - 2 p.m. local time (or while supplies last). All proceeds are going to charity.
NAPRAVNIK AND CHAMPION UNTAPABLE AT FAIR GROUNDS

Photo by Eclipse Sportswire
The best bet of the day is that for the first race, a maiden claimer, more people will be in Rosie’s line than on the rail.
Get there early if you want a Rosie autograph. She is beloved at the Fair Grounds and much missed as a jockey but is still a fixture at the track working with her husband, Joe Sharp, who trains horses. It’s worth coming out early anyway, the first stakes race is the fourth on the card and there are three Grade 3 races before the Risen Star. These include Mineshaft Handicap and Rachel Alexandra Stakes, both of which Rosie won the last two years. 
A fantastic place to get a tasty start to the day is The Ruby Slipper Café. Their most recent addition, in Pensacola, Fla., is not suited for getting to the racetrack early, but the other locations in New Orleans will work just fine. I prefer the original, in Mid-City at 139 S. Cortez St, conveniently located only a few minutes from the Fair Grounds. 

While the Wizard of Oz reference is clear, the name is an homage to the famous line, “There’s no place like home” and a wish, hope, effort to help New Orleans recover after Hurricane Katrina. Their food won’t put a new roof over your head but it sure helps make people happy. 
They offer standard breakfast items, but their specialties are why I go. Shrimp and grits are not unique in New Orleans but the amber beer and rosemary reduction help this version stand out from the crowd. Eggs Benedict, or as they call them, “Bennie,“ are all fantastic and would give you plenty of fuel for a full day at the track. My favorite one is the Eggs Cochon (which is French for “pig“). “Slow-cooked, apple-braised pork debris” makes this feel rich, decadent and different while maintaining a solid core of familiarity. The breakfast sandwich with two eggs (any style), pig-candy bacon (sweet but meaty) and a fried green tomato shows the same sense of flair. They offer it, “on sliced bread if you’re not feeling adventurous.” Be adventurous, bet the longer odds and enjoy the experimentation.
Pay attention to specials, posted regularly on Facebook. I was lucky enough to be there with Miss Wright and my daughter for Red Velvet pancakes. The vanilla sauce was a lot like icing but still didn’t feel too sweet. There are lunch choices as well, “For the Later Riser,” including a few featuring that wild pig-candy bacon!
They offer cocktails, wine and beer, “You can’t drink all day if you don’t start in the morning ... ” These come in handy during the frequent waits for a table. They do not take reservations, but hang around, it is worth it. 
The servers are efficient, friendly and casual without being overly familiar. Overall, the restaurant isn’t fussy and does not take itself too seriously, but they clearly pay attention to quality. I have only ever eaten at the original location but, based on the lines I often see downtown, they’re doing a good job there as well.
The hours are consistent across locations: Weekdays 7 a.m.-2 p.m., Sat. 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. and Sun. 8 a.m..-.3 p.m., and they hardly ever close - open 362 days a year, closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and Mardi Gras day. Have a drink, relax, eat well and make it out to the Fair Grounds in time for an autograph from Rosie. I’ll see you there ...