Synchrony, Bricks and Mortar in Strong Edition of Muniz

For Synchrony to extend his perfect record on the Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots turf when he starts in the $300,000 Muniz Memorial Handicap (G2T) March 23, the Pin Oak Stable homebred will have to defeat this season's active earnings leader, Bricks and Mortar.

In his 2019 debut, Synchrony stayed perfect in four starts on Fair Grounds' Stall-Wilson turf course when he rallied from eighth early to register a clear victory in the Feb. 16 Fair Grounds Handicap (G3T) at the New Orleans track. The 6-year-old son of Tapit  secured his second straight Fair Grounds Handicap win and, in doing so, looked poised to defend his 2018 Muniz Memorial score.

Trained by Michael Stidham, Synchrony has won each of his four races at Fair Grounds in clear fashion. Joe Bravo, who has been aboard for each of Synchrony's Fair Grounds stakes wins, will be aboard Saturday.

After his previous win, Stidham noted the class of his five-time graded stakes winner.

"He's a really good horse," Stidham said. "He's shown it over and over again. I think he's still got a grade 1 sitting out there somewhere waiting for him, and we're going to try and have him ready for it."

Despite that overall consistency and gleaming record at Fair Grounds, Synchrony likely will be second-choice when Bricks and Mortar makes the trip from his winter training home at Palm Meadows to start in Saturday's 1 1/8-mile test. Bricks and Mortar turned heads Jan. 26 in his first try at the highest level for Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence, rallying from eighth and drawing off to a 2 1/2-length victory in the inaugural $7 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes (G1T) at Gulfstream Park.

With the retirement of Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) winner City of Light , Bricks and Mortar leads all active horses in 2019 earnings at $2,656,250. The 5-year-old son of Giant's Causeway, the 125-pound highweight for Saturday's test, boasts reigning Eclipse Award winners Chad Brown and Irad Ortiz Jr. as his trainer and jockey.

Also in the mix are the top two finishers from the Feb. 9 Tampa Bay Stakes (G3T) at Tampa Bay Downs: Stuart Janney III and Phipps Stable's Inspector Lynley and Gunpowder Farms and Brereton Jones' Divisidero, a grade 1-winning 7-year-old son of Kitten's Joy .

Besides the new arrivals to The Big Easy, a total of four starters from the Fair Grounds Handicap could run. After Synchrony, that race's runner-up, Bandua also is entered—although the son of The Factor  is cross-entered in the New Orleans Handicap (G2); as well as third-place finisher Markitoff and fifth-place First Premio.