Moreno Targeting New Orleans Handicap
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Moreno, a homebred grade I winner for Southern Equine Stable, will head to Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots for the $400,000 New Orleans Handicap (gr. II) March 28, trainer Eric Guillot said.
The 5-year-old Ghostzapper gelding is the 122-pound highweight for the race and wheels back three weeks after finishing second to Shared Belief in the Santa Anita Handicap (gr. I), in which he set the pace, March 7.
"They put him down at 122 (pounds), with five pounds to the next horse, so I might ride him myself from California to get him into shape to carry that," Guillot joked.
Moreno has a 3-8-3 record from 24 career starts and more than $2 million in earnings. His best career effort thus far is a victory in the Whitney Handicap (gr. I) last August at Saratoga Race Course, where he was a nose second in the 2013 Travers Stakes (gr. I) to the year's eventual champion 3-year-old colt Will Take Charge . At the New Orleans Handicap's 1 1/8-mile distance, Moreno has never finished worse than third.
Moreno worked five furlongs in 1:00 2/5 March 19 at Los Alamitos Race Course. The time was the fourth fastest of 19 moves at the distance.
"He's in really good shape right now," Guillot said. "Joe Talamo will ride him (in the New Orleans Handicap). He was on board for the work and he rode him a couple years ago in the Breeders' Cup (Classic, gr. I, finishing 10th). The plan is to go three weeks (between the Santa Anita and New Orleans Handicaps) and then three weeks to the ($1.5 million) Charles Town Classic (gr. II, April 18). Then we'll freshen him for a summer campaign. I'm not too concerned about the short break for him. He's a horse who keeps himself in good shape.
"We might go back to California afterward if we can get a flight. If not, we'll take him up to Keeneland to prepare for Charles Town."