Art Collector Could Add to Gallery in New Orleans

With all the pre-race attention fixated on popular younger rivals Cyberknife   and White Abarrio , in addition to West Coast shipper Defunded  from the potent Bob Baffert barn, Art Collector  was able to slip through the cracks—literally and figuratively—as he registered the biggest victory of his career in the Jan. 28 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1).

The odds won't be so generous this time in the March 25 $500,000 New Orleans Classic Stakes (G2) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. Art Collector currently enters the 1 1/8 contest as the 8-5 morning line favorite in a field that includes graded stakes winners West Will Power , Happy American , Rattle N Roll , Mr. Wireless , and Pioneer of Medina .

Prior to his Pegasus glory, Art Collector had already cultivated a marvelous career, capturing the 2021 Woodward Stakes (G1), two editions of the Charles Town Classic Stakes (G2), and the 2020 Blue Grass Stakes as a sophomore. The 6-year-old son of Bernardini's owner, the sporting Bruce Lunsford, believed the best was yet to come for his homebred runner.

"Part of the reason I decided to run him back is I like the game," Lunsford said. "I talked with Bill (Mott) about it, and we felt the horse had excuses with his foot and things like that and we could get him back in good order to run. I didn't think it would be fair for him to go out after that one (the Lukas Classic Stakes, G2), and it worked out pretty well because he was really healthy (in the Pegasus)."

With multiple grade 1 winner Country Grammer  clashing with international foes overseas in this weekend's Dubai World Cup (G1), Art Collector will attempt to raise his standard even higher on the domestic front as one of the best older horses in training on Saturday. The two top older horses will run no less than six hours apart, albeit in different countries.

Junior Alvarado, who has been enjoying a terrific Gulfstream Park meet with Art Collector's trainer, Bill Mott and was aboard for the Pegasus, flies into New Orleans to ride.

Art Collector should be tracking what's shaping up to be a contentious battle upfront between West Will Power and the speedy last-out allowance optional claimer winner Treasury , whose trainer Grant Forster made it no secret that the Speightstown   gelding would gun for the early lead.

"We're going to be in front," Forster said. "He's doing fantastic. He loves it here, it's the perfect time to take our big swing with him and see what happens. He's just a horse that you have to let run. His thing is he can go fast and keep going. Obviously, these are top-class horses, but we're going to go out there and take it to everybody and see what happens."

Gary and Mary West's West Will Power, another son of the late Bernardini, figures to be tough in his second start off the layoff. The Brad Cox trainee closed out his 2022 campaign with a powerful 6 3/4-length romp in the Fayette Stakes (G2) followed by a narrow runner-up finish in the Clark Stakes (G1). He returned to the races in the Feb. 18 Razorback Handicap (G3) at Oaklawn Park, where he led turning for home before being reeled in late by the formful Last Samurai . Even in defeat, he managed a terrific 117 Equibase Speed Figure.

The Fair Grounds local contingent is headed by Louisiana Stakes (G3) victor Happy American, who will look to rebound off an eighth-place finish in the Mineshaft Stakes (G3) behind Todd Pletcher shipper Pioneer of Medina.  

Entries: New Orleans Classic S. Presented by Relyne GI By Hagyard (G2)

Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Saturday, March 25, 2023, Race 9

• Grade II
• 1 1/8m
• Dirt
• $500,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 4:04 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Treasury (KY)	Corey J. Lanerie	118	Grant T. Forster	20/1
2	2Art Collector (KY)	Junior Alvarado	124	William I. Mott	8/5
3	3West Will Power (KY)	Flavien Prat	124	Brad H. Cox	2/1
4	4Trafalgar (KY)	Mitchell Murrill	118	Chris A. Hartman	30/1
5	5Rattle N Roll (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	118	Kenneth G. McPeek	10/1
6	6Happy American (KY)	James Graham	122	Neil L. Pessin	10/1
7	7Mr. Wireless (KY)	Deshawn L. Parker	118	W. Bret Calhoun	8/1
8	8Pioneer of Medina (KY)	Luis Saez	122	Todd A. Pletcher	9/2