Fair Grounds the Focus of Weekend's Graded Stakes

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 03/23/2019 - 05:17
Link: 
Fair Grounds the Focus of Weekend's Graded Stakes
Image: 
Description: 

Photo: Benoit Photo
Mucho Gusto will return to action Sunday, March 24

Each week, the NTRA and BloodHorse provide a guide to the best stakes races in North America and beyond. Races are listed in chronological order (all times EDT). Full previews can be found through the link for each race. 

NBCSN will present exclusive live coverage of the TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) March 23 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. EDT from Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.

Saturday March 23

4:34 p.m.—$400,000 New Orleans H. (G2) at Fair Grounds (TVG)

Trainer Todd Pletcher has scored Louisiana Derby-New Orleans Handicap doubles in the past with Circular Quay (2007-08) and Mission Impazible  (2010-11) and will seek to do the same with last year's Louisiana Derby winner Noble Indy. Mike Repole's 4-year-old son of Take Charge Indy has not won since last year's Louisiana Derby and will be making his second start this year. 


Entries: New Orleans H. (G2)

Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Saturday, March 23, 2019, Race 10

  • Grade II
  • 1 1/8m
  • Dirt
  • $400,000
  • 4 yo's & up
  • 3:34 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Mo Dont No (OH)Keeneland Sales Graduate Mitchell Murrill 114 Thomas M. Amoss 30/1
2 2Lone Sailor (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate James Graham 117 Thomas M. Amoss 9/2
3 3Souper Tapit (FL) Tyler Gaffalione 116 Mark E. Casse 6/1
4 4Noble Indy (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate John R. Velazquez 115 Todd A. Pletcher 15/1
5 5Krewe Chief (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Corey J. Lanerie 115 Michael J. Maker 20/1
6 6Silver Dust (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Jack Gilligan 120 W. Bret Calhoun 7/2
7 7Noble Commander (FL) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 113 Philip D'Amato 20/1
8 8Mr. Buff (NY) Junior Alvarado 118 John C. Kimmel 6/1
9 9Bandua (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Adam Beschizza 116 Jack Sisterson 12/1
10 10Copper Bullet (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Jose L. Ortiz 117 Steven M. Asmussen 4/1
11 11Core Beliefs (KY) Florent Geroux 115 Peter Eurton 6/1

5:10 p.m.—$300,000 Muniz Memorial Handicap (G2T) at Fair Grounds (TVG)

A 10-horse field that includes six graded stakes winners will go to post for the 1 1/8-miles Muniz Memorial Handicap over the turf. Invading from South Florida is Bricks and Mortar who will make his first start since a victory in the grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Stakes at Gulfstream Park Jan. 26. The 5-year-old son of Giant's Causeway has banked a total of $3,018,250 in his eight-race career for three-time Eclipse Award winner Chad Brown and will break from the seven hole under Irad Ortiz Jr. 


Entries: Muniz Memorial H. (G2T)

Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Saturday, March 23, 2019, Race 11

  • Grade IIT
  • About 1 1/8m
  • Turf
  • $300,000
  • 4 yo's & up
  • 4:10 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Hot Springs (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Luis Saez 115 Steven M. Asmussen 15/1
2 2Divisidero (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Florent Geroux 118 Kelly Rubley 5/1
3 3Synchrony (KY) Joe Bravo 123 Michael Stidham 3/1
4 4Bandua (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Adam Beschizza 117 Jack Sisterson 12/1
5 5First Premio (KY) John R. Velazquez 117 Mark E. Casse 8/1
6 6Markitoff (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Tyler Gaffalione 115 Michael J. Maker 20/1
7 7Bricks and Mortar (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Irad Ortiz, Jr. 125 Chad C. Brown 2/1
8 8Inspector Lynley (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 118 Claude R. McGaughey III 6/1
9 9Final Copy (ON) Corey J. Lanerie 115 Roger L. Attfield 20/1
10 10Silver Dust (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Jack Gilligan 118 W. Bret Calhoun 12/1

5:44 p.m.—$400,000 TwinSpires.com Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) at Fair Grounds (NBCSN and TVG) 

Joel Politi's Serengeti Empress heads the field for the Fair Grounds Oaks after an impressive 4 1/2-length victory in the grade 2 Rachel Alexandra Stakes in her 3-year-old debut. The daughter of Alternation  will attempt to give trainer Tom Amoss his second consecutive win in the Fair Grounds Oaks after the New Orleans native conditioner took last year's edition with Chocolate Martini.


Entries: Twinspires.com Fair Grounds Oaks (G2)

Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Saturday, March 23, 2019, Race 12

  • Grade II
  • 1 1/16m
  • Dirt
  • $400,000
  • 3 yo Fillies
  • 4:44 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Speedette (KY) Corey J. Lanerie 122 J. Keith Desormeaux 10/1
2 2Serengeti Empress (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate James Graham 122 Thomas M. Amoss 6/5
3 3Street Band (KY) Sophie Doyle 122 J. Larry Jones 8/1
4 4Sweet Diane (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Joe Bravo 122 Michael Stidham 8/1
5 5Crescentcitypretty (LA) Miguel Mena 122 Tyron Benoit 15/1
6 6Eres Tu (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 122 Steven M. Asmussen 6/1
7 7Slewgoodtobetrue (SC) Florent Geroux 122 Peter Eurton 8/1
8 8Liora (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Channing Hill 122 Wayne M. Catalano 5/1

6:10 p.m.—$100,000 Hutcheson Stakes (G3) Gulfstream Park (TVG) 

Robert and Lawana Low's Federal Case is scheduled to cut back in distance in the six-furlong Hutcheson and drop back to one-turn competition in the process. The Pletcher-trained colt tasted defeat for the first time in his two-turn debut in the grade 2 Holy Bull Stakes, in which he broke awkwardly, made a middle move and flattened out to finish seventh. 


Entries: Hutcheson S. (G3)

Gulfstream Park, Saturday, March 23, 2019, Race 12

  • Grade III
  • 6f
  • Dirt
  • $100,000
  • 3 yo
  • 6:10 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1In the Loop (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Jevian Toledo 118 Jorge Duarte, Jr. 3/1
2 2Federal Case (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Javier Castellano 118 Todd A. Pletcher 9/5
3 3Gladiator King (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Leonel Reyes 122 Jaime Mejia 10/1
4 4Topper T (IA) Emisael Jaramillo 122 William I. Mott 2/1
5 5Lutsky (NY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Nik Juarez 118 Dermot Magner 4/1

6:13 p.m.—$1 million Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) Fair Grounds (NBCSN)

Gary Barber's War of Will is unbeaten in three starts on dirt and looks to complete a sweep of the series of local preps for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1). The Mark Casse-trained son of War Front  won the grade 3 Lecomte and grade 2 Risen Star Stakes and has been made the 6-5 morning line favorite for the Louisiana Derby.  


Entries: Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2)

Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Saturday, March 23, 2019, Race 13

  • Grade II
  • 1 1/8m
  • Dirt
  • $1,000,000
  • 3 yo
  • 5:13 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Roiland (KY) James Graham 122 Thomas M. Amoss 12/1
2 2Lemniscate (FL) Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. 122 Kenneth G. McPeek 15/1
3 3Limonite (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Jose L. Ortiz 122 Steven M. Asmussen 20/1
4 4Sueno (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Corey J. Lanerie 122 J. Keith Desormeaux 8/1
5 5By My Standards (KY) Gabriel Saez 122 W. Bret Calhoun 12/1
6 6War of Will (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Tyler Gaffalione 122 Mark E. Casse 6/5
7 7Mr. Money (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Adam Beschizza 122 W. Bret Calhoun 20/1
8 8Country House (KY) Luis Saez 122 William I. Mott 9/2
9 9Bankit (NY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 122 Steven M. Asmussen 20/1
10 10Spinoff (KY) John R. Velazquez 122 Todd A. Pletcher 8/1
11 11Hog Creek Hustle (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Miguel Mena 122 Vickie L. Foley 12/1

Sunday March 24

6:27 p.m.— $200,000 Sunland Park Oaks (TVG)

Regally-bred Chasing Yesterday puts her top form on the line against eight other entrants in the Sunland Oaks, which offers 50 points to the winner toward the Kentucky Oaks. The Bob Baffert-trained daughter of Tapit  is a half sister to 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah and has built up her own impressive resume with four wins from five starts, including a victory in the grade 1 Starlet Stakes Dec. 8.


Entries: Sunland Park Oaks

Sunland Park, Sunday, March 24, 2019, Race 9

  • STK
  • 1 1/16m
  • Dirt
  • $200,000
  • 3 yo Fillies
  • 4:27 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Victim of Love (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Ry Eikleberry 121 Henry Dominguez 4/1
2 2Parade of Roses (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Joseph Talamo 121 Nate Williams 10/1
3 3Figure (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Ken S. Tohill 121 Joel H. Marr 12/1
4 4Peaceoutyourhonor (KY) Alfredo J. Juarez, Jr. 121 Tony E. Sedillo 30/1
5 5Backflash (KY) Luis Contreras 121 Steven M. Asmussen 6/1
6 6K P Slickem (VA) Tyler Baze 121 Weston L. Martin 8/1
7 7Chasing Yesterday (KY) Drayden Van Dyke 121 Bob Baffert 9/5
8 8Enlisting (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Kent J. Desormeaux 121 Robert B. Hess, Jr. 5/1
9 9Bellafina (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Flavien Prat 121 Simon Callaghan 7/5

7:30 p.m.—$800,000 Sunland Derby (G3) (TVG)

For Michael Petersen's Mucho Gusto, a spot in the starting gate for the Kentucky Derby could be within his grasp if he runs to his billing as the morning-line favorite in Sunday's Sunland Derby. Horses in top finishing positions in the Sunland Derby will earn points to qualify for the Kentucky Derby, with the winner earning 50 points. A romping winner of the grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita Park last time out, Mucho Gusto will look to keep his 2019 record intact when he breaks from the inside post against nine rivals in the 1 1/8-mile test. 


Entries: Sunland Park Derby (G3)

Sunland Park, Sunday, March 24, 2019, Race 11

  • Grade III
  • 1 1/8m
  • Dirt
  • $800,000
  • 3 yo
  • 5:30 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Mucho Gusto (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Joseph Talamo 122 Bob Baffert 8/5
2 2Anothertwistafate (KY) Juan J. Hernandez 122 Blaine D. Wright 3/1
3 3Hustle Up (NM) Shane Laviolette 122 Todd W. Fincher 5/1
4 4Wicked Indeed (KY) Luis Contreras 122 Steven M. Asmussen 6/1
5 5Cutting Humor (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate John R. Velazquez 122 Todd A. Pletcher 8/1
6 6Walker Stalker (NM) Alejandro Medellin 122 Jose R. Gonzalez, Jr. 15/1
7 7Pasamonte Man (NY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Ken S. Tohill 122 Joel H. Marr 20/1
8 8Collusionist (CO) Alfredo J. Juarez, Jr. 122 O. A. Martinez, Jr. 25/1
9 9Diamond Blitz (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Kent J. Desormeaux 122 J. Keith Desormeaux 15/1
10 10Eye Cloud (KY) Isaias D. Enriquez 122 Tracy A. Norris 30/1