Synchrony Aims for Fair Grounds Handicap Repeat

Pin Oak Stable homebred Synchrony will put his perfect Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots record on the line when he aims to win the $150,000 Fair Grounds Handicap (G3T) a second straight year when an expected field of 11 older horses lines up Feb. 16.

Trained by Michael Stidham, Synchrony is set to make his 6-year-old seasonal debut in Saturday's 1 1/8-mile turf test. The son of Tapit  will put his 3-for-3 record on the Fair Grounds turf on the line, a mark that includes a two-length score in last year's Fair Grounds Handicap. He followed that win with a victory in the Muniz Memorial Handicap (G2T).

Synchrony would add a grade 1 placing last season when third in the Old Forester Turf Classic Stakes on the Churchill Downs turf. Saturday he'll be making his first start since finishing third in the Seasbiscuit Handicap (G2T) Nov. 24 on the Del Mar turf.

Late-running Synchrony may have to catch Steve Landers Racing's Big Changes, who couldn't be in better form as he pursues his first graded stakes score. Trained by Brad Cox, the 7-year-old son of Midshipman  enters off a clear victory in the Sunshine Millions Turf Stakes for Florida-breds. That effort marked Big Changes' sixth win in his past eight starts and, in the two races he didn't win in that stretch, he finished second.

The Fair Grounds Handicap is one of six stakes scheduled for Saturday's Louisiana Derby Preview Day Presented by Lamarque Ford card.

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Earlier on the card, Michael Hui's Hogy, in his ninth season of racing, will try for his 10th career stakes win in the $75,000 Colonel Power Stakes, a turf sprint he won in 2017 in course-record time.

The Colonel Power is the second race on the card and has a scheduled post time of 12:58 p.m. CT.

Also on Saturday's card, grade 2 winner Beau Recall will try for a second straight stakes win on the course when she faces other older fillies and mares in the $75,000 Albert M. Stall Memorial Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on the turf. Slam Dunk Racing and Medallion Racing's Beau Recall enters off a victory in the Dec. 22 Blushing K. D. Stakes. 

Entries: Colonel Power S.

Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Saturday, February 16, 2019, Race 2

• STK
• About 5 1/2f
• Turf
• $75,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 12:58 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Kid Perfect (KY)	Adam Beschizza	117	Angel O. Montano, Sr.	8/1
2	2Leadem in Ken (KY)	Danny Sorenson	121	Joseph P. Smith	6/1
3	3Adonis Creed (KY)	Florent Geroux	119	Brad H. Cox	3/1
4	4Chaos Theory (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	119	Brendan P. Walsh	15/1
5	5Wings Locked Up (OK)	James Graham	123	Clinton C. Stuart	6/1
6	6Latent Revenge (KY)	Gabriel Saez	117	Gregory D. Foley	9/2
7	7Hogy (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	117	Michael J. Maker	5/2
8	8Savage Battle (KY)	Joe Bravo	121	Gary M. Scherer	10/1

Entries: Albert M. Stall Memorial S.

Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Saturday, February 16, 2019, Race 4

• STK
• About 1 1/16m
• Turf
• $75,000
• 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 1:54 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Mitchell Road (KY)	Luis Saez	121	William I. Mott	6/1
2	2Top Cats (ARG)	Julien R. Leparoux	117	Brendan P. Walsh	8/1
3	3Coachwhip (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	121	Jack Sisterson	8/1
4	4Pretty Lady (KY)	Adam Beschizza	117	Joe Sharp	8/1
5	5Coffee Crush (KY)	Florent Geroux	117	James J. Toner	20/1
6	6Kabella (KY)	James Graham	117	Steve Margolis	10/1
7	7Dreams Are Free (KY)	Miguel Mena	117	Thomas M. Amoss	10/1
8	8Beau Recall (IRE)	Shaun Bridgmohan	123	Brad H. Cox	2/1
9	9Promise of Spring (KY)	Gabriel Saez	117	Steve Margolis	5/1
10	10Go Google Yourself (KY)	Joseph Rocco, Jr.	117	Paul J. McGee	10/1

Entries: Fair Grounds H. (G3T)

Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Saturday, February 16, 2019, Race 10

• Grade IIIT
• About 1 1/8m
• Turf
• $150,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 4:57 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Tiz a Slam (ON)	Corey J. Lanerie	121	Roger L. Attfield	8/1
2	2Sir Dudley Digges (ON)	Tyler Gaffalione	118	Michael J. Maker	10/1
3	3Sun Lover (GB)	Jack Gilligan	113	Conor Murphy	30/1
4	4Long On Luck (KY)	Gabriel Saez	113	Angel O. Montano, Sr.	30/1
5	5Big Changes (FL)	Florent Geroux	119	Brad H. Cox	6/1
6	6First Premio (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	119	Mark E. Casse	4/1
7	7Combatant (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	115	Steven M. Asmussen	8/1
8	8Markitoff (KY)	Manuel Franco	115	Michael J. Maker	12/1
9	9Synchrony (KY)	Joe Bravo	122	Michael Stidham	3/1
10	10Great Wide Open (IRE)	James Graham	120	Conor Murphy	9/2
11	11Bandua (KY)	Adam Beschizza	115	Jack Sisterson	15/1