Seasoned Graded Stakes Winners Top Muniz Memorial Field

A field rich in seasoned campaigners will go to the post March 26 in the $300,000 Muniz Memorial Classic Stakes Presented by Horse Racing Nation (G2T), a 1 1/8-mile turf contest at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.

Trainer Chad Brown entered a pair of consistent graded stakes winners that are the top choices in the morning line.

The 2-1 morning-line favorite is 7-year-old Sacred Life , a ridgling by Siyouni  who will be ridden by Florent Geroux. Sacred Life is a consistent performer who has won or placed seven times in his last 12 starts. He comes into the race off a troubled sixth-place finish in the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes Presented by Baccarat (G1T). His trip got compromised early with rider Jose Ortiz having to check as the field headed into the first turn, they then ran into traffic heading into the stretch but managed to close from second-to-last to sixth and still be just more than two lengths behind the winner.

Prior to the Pegasus World Cup, Sacred Life was second by a head in the Seabiscuit Handicap (G2T) going 1 1/16 miles at Del Mar and won the Knickerbocker Stakes (G3T) at Belmont Park. The horse races for partners Michael Dubb, Sol Kumin and Jason Monteleone's Madaket Stables, Joseph and Marc Lore's Wonder Stables, and Michael Caruso.

Geroux and Sacred Life will break from post 2.

Brown's other contender is 5-2 choice Devamani , another co-owned by Dubb along with Sanford Goldfarb and Samuel Abraham. Mirroring his stablemate and work partner, the 8-year-old gelded son of Dubawi  finished unplaced in his last start—the Tampa Bay Stakes (G3T) on the turf at Tampa Bay Downs—but also has won or placed seven times in his previous dozen starts. Prior to his run at Tampa Bay Downs, he won the 1 1/8-mile Monmouth Stakes (G3T) by 1 1/2 lengths.

Devamani has shown an affinity for softer ground but that won't be the condition he's likely to face Saturday, with no rain expected leading up the Muniz Memorial. Joel Rosario has the mount and will break from post 3.

Godolphin and trainer Brendan Walsh have the youngster of the field, a 4-year-old Distorted Humor  colt named Santin . Coming off a 3-year-old campaign that began in September and produced two wins and a second from three starts, the colt got bet down off his 12-1 morning line to 5-2 for his 2022 debut last month in the Fair Grounds Stakes (G3T). He had a compromised trip under Tyler Gaffalione but showed some late interest down the stretch just missing the board. The top four finishers were separated by less than a length.

"He ran well in the Fair Grounds (Stakes) and it will benefit him having a run going into Saturday," said Walsh. "He's been working very well. He's only run four times. He showed that he could mix it up with those seasoned, older horses. He just has to improve a little to put him right there again, which I think that he has. Chad's two horses look tough, and there are some other proven, seasoned horses in there. It's going to take my horse another two or three starts to get to the point where they already are. All he lacks is experience. If he can stick right with them now, if he keeps improving, that should put him right up there with the very best turf horses this year."

The lack of early pace in the favorites' running lines could be beneficial for the local longshot contingents like Cavalry Charge , Forty Under , and Two Emmys , who used his front-running speed last year to a runner-up finish in the Muniz Memorial at 24-1. James Graham was in the irons for Two Emmys' 2021 Muniz Memorial effort and is aboard for Saturday's edition. Two Emmys is a 6-year-old son of English Channel  and trained by Hugh Robertson.

Cavalry Charge, a 5-year-old gelded son of Honor Code  , prevailed in front-running fashion in the Fair Grounds Stakes. Trainer Dallas Stewart and jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. could find themselves on the lead once again in this race.

Cavalry Charge, Forty Under, and Another Mystery  will all carry 122 pounds. The rest of the field is slated to carry 118 pounds.

Entries: Muniz Memorial Classic S. Presented by Horse Racing Nation (G2T)

Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Saturday, March 26, 2022, Race 10

• Grade IIT
• 1 1/8m
• Turf
• $300,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 4:40 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Peacock Kitten (KY)	Devin H. Magnon	118	Rylee Grudzien	30/1
2	2Sacred Life (FR)	Florent Geroux	118	Chad C. Brown	2/1
3	3Devamani (FR)	Joel Rosario	118	Chad C. Brown	5/2
4	4Cavalry Charge (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	122	Dallas Stewart	10/1
5	5Forty Under (KY)	Mitchell Murrill	122	Michael J. Maker	10/1
6	6Captivating Moon (KY)	Junior Alvarado	118	Chris M. Block	15/1
7	7Another Mystery (IL)	Jareth Loveberry	122	Chris M. Block	12/1
8	8Two Emmys (KY)	James Graham	118	Hugh H. Robertson	15/1
9	9Santin (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	118	Brendan P. Walsh	7/2