Moreno Makes FG debut in New Orleans Handicap

While trainer Eric Guillot was born in New Iberia, La., his stable star Moreno is scheduled for his first start in the Pelican State March 28, in the $400,000 New Orleans Handicap (gr. II) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.

Campaigned by Mike Moreno's Southern Equine Stables, Moreno will be making his second start of 2015, after opening the season with a runner-up finish to Shared Belief in the Santa Anita Handicap (gr. I) March 7. That marked Moreno's first start since a troubled, last-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) at Santa Anita Park to close out 2014.

"He's in really good shape right now," Guillot said. "Joe Talamo will ride him. He was on board for the (March 20 work at Los Alamitos Race Course of five furlongs in 1:00 2/5) and he rode him a couple years ago in the Breeders' Cup. The plan is to go three weeks (between the Santa Anita and New Orleans Handicaps) and then three weeks to the Charles Town Classic (gr. II, Apr. 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."

In 2014, Moreno captured the Whitney Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga Race Course, finished second in the Woodward Stakes (gr. I) there, and was second in the Suburban Handicap (gr. II) at Belmont Park. The son of Ghostzapper   has earned just more than $2 million in his career. Talamo said Moreno is a great competitor.

"If you look at his races, the few bad races he's run, it's the two times in the Breeders' Cup Classic. Other than that, if he doesn't win, he's right there. He runs hard every time," Talamo said. "He's run against Shared Belief, one of the best older horses in the country—just ran second to him in the Santa Anita Handicap—and he tries hard every time. 

"Me and Eric talked about the race a little bit. He said he's a horse you kind of have to ride the whole way to kind of get him in a good rhythm. He's not one you want to sit back and make him run. You've got to get him in the race early. He said you kind of have to keep after him the whole way, but if you do that, he said he'll just keep running for you."

While Mineshaft Handicap (gr. III) winner Street Babe is not entered in Saturday's 1 1/8-mile race, the expected field of nine older horses features the second- and third-place finishers from that local prep for the New Orleans in Mystery Train and Red Rifle, respectively.

The Mineshaft marked the first stakes placing in the U.S. for Jed Cohen's Mystery Train, a grade I winner in Argentina. Twin Creeks Racing Stables' Red Rifle was the 8-5 favorite in the Mineshaft, off his late-November victory in the Hawthorne Gold Cup Handicap (gr. II).

The field also includes Brereton Jones homebred Albano, who cruised to the easiest of victories in the Maxxam Gold Cup Stakes Feb. 28 at Sam Houston Race Park. A 4-year-old son of Istan  , Albano has two wins and three other placings in five career starts at Fair Grounds.