Honorable Duty Aims to Continue Fair Grounds Roll
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Photo: Hodges Photography / Lou Hodges, Jr.
Honorable Duty wins the Tenacious Stakes to close out 2016 for trainer Brendan Walsh
Honorable Duty will try for a third straight stakes win at the Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots meeting and the most prestigious victory of his career when he faces an expected nine rivals in the $400,000 New Orleans Handicap (G2) April 1.
Campaigned by DAARS Inc., Honorable Duty enters Saturday's 1 1/8-mile test for older horses off a half-length score over International Star in the Mineshaft Handicap (G3) Feb. 25 at Fair Grounds. Trained by Brendan Walsh, Honorable Duty secured the first graded stakes win of his career in the 1 1/16-mile Mineshaft after closing out 2016 with a score in the Tenacious Stakes.
A 5-year-old son of Distorted Humor , Honorable Duty has been assigned 119 pounds for Saturday's test with James Graham up.
International Star is also is entered and Ken and Sarah Ramsey's four-time graded stakes winner has license to improve off the Mineshaft, which was the first start in more than eight months for the 5-year-old son of Fusaichi Pegasus . Trained by Mike Maker, International Star won the 2015 Risen Star Stakes and Louisiana Derby (both G2) at Fair Grounds.
Saturday's highweight will be grade 1 winner Noble Bird, at 121 pounds. John Oxley's Noble Bird will be making his first start since leading early and fading to sixth in the $12 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) Jan. 28 at Gulfstream Park. Trained by Mark Casse, Noble Bird's biggest wins include the 2015 Stephen Foster Handicap (G1) and last year's Hagyard Fayette Stakes (G2).
New Orleans H. (G2)
Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Saturday, April 01, 2017, Race 8
- 1 1/8m
- Dirt
- $400,000
- 4 yo's & up
- 3:39 PM (local)
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Wgt | Trainer | M/L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1Breaking Lucky (ON) |
Luis Contreras | 118 | Reade Baker | 8/1 |
| 2 | 2Iron Fist (KY) |
David Romero Flores | 116 | Steven M. Asmussen | 6/1 |
| 3 | 3International Star (NY) | Tyler Gaffalione | 118 | Michael J. Maker | 6/1 |
| 4 | 4Honorable Duty (KY) |
James Graham | 119 | Brendan P. Walsh | 6/1 |
| 5 | 5Aglimpseofgabby (KY) |
C.J. McMahon | 112 | Dallas E. Keen | 50/1 |
| 6 | 6Hawaakom (KY) | Miguel Mena | 118 | Wesley E. Hawley | 4/1 |
| 7 | 7Roman Approval (KY) |
Rajiv Maragh | 114 | Michael J. Maker | 12/1 |
| 8 | 8Mo Tom (KY) |
Robby Albarado | 115 | Thomas M. Amoss | 10/1 |
| 9 | 9Noble Bird (KY) | Florent Geroux | 121 | Mark E. Casse | 7/2 |
| 10 | 10Eagle (KY) | Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. | 118 | Neil J. Howard | 6/1 |