Fair Grounds will close its abbreviated meet at Louisiana Downs on Sunday,
but not before adding “a little something extra” during the final weekend.
Eight stakes will be offered — four on Saturday and four on Sunday — and the biggest
event is Saturday’s $200,000
Fair Grounds
Breeders’ Cup H. (G3).
FORT PRADO (El Prado [Ire]) highlights the eight-horse field in the 1
1/16-mile grass test and will have to carry the top weight of 121 pounds off a
close second in the Colonel E. R. Bradley H. over the course most recently.
Robby Albarado, who was aboard the five-year-old gray when he broke his maiden in
2004 on Fair Grounds’ main track, returned to the saddle three starts back for an allowance
win at Keeneland and was holding the reins in the
Bradley last out. He’ll get a leg up again on Saturday.
CHINESE DRAGON (Stravinsky) has won six of eight lifetime starts and was off the board only
in his debut. His most recent victory came
in the first division of the Sir Beaufort S. at Santa Anita in late December,
and the Bob Hess Jr. trainee will be making his four-year-old bow on Saturday.
This will also mark his first try against graded competition, and the bay colt
will keep Kent Desormeaux in the irons.
Others of note in this event include Bradley winner ONTHEDEANSLIST (Honor
Grades), who has scored in four of his last six races, and Grade 3 victor G P
FLEET (Northern Afleet), hero of the Fair Grounds Breeders’ Cup last year when
it was ungraded.
The complete field, with riders and weights, is WAUPACA (Forest Wildcat),
Elvis Perrodin, 116; Chinese Dragon, 118; GALLO DEL BAR (Chi) (Barkerville),
Larry Melancon, 115; SAMPSON’S SON (Lil’s Lad), Roman Chapa, 113; G P Fleet,
Jesus Castanon, 118; Fort Prado; OLE FAUNTY (Quiet American), James Graham, 113;
Onthedeanslist, Corey Lanerie, 118.
THE BETER MAN CAN (Lord Avie), queen of five stakes races at either Fair Grounds
or Louisiana Downs during
her career, will make her four-year-old bow in Saturday’s $100,000
Lagniappe Ladies S., which kicks off the stakes action. Trained by
Patrick Mouton, the dark bay miss has captured her past two starts during the
current meet at Louisiana Downs by a combined 13 lengths, including the
Louisiana Champions Day Ladies S. She’ll face seven rivals in the 1 1/16-mile
event.
Eleven Louisiana-bred three-year-olds will line up in the $100,000
Crescent City Derby, including Gentilly S. hero DESERT WHEAT (Wheaton). The
bay colt has divided his time between the turf and dirt, but will be staying on
the main track for this 1 1/16-mile test while toting top weight of 123 pounds.
NOB HILL DEELITE (Afternoon Deelites) holds a slight advantage in experience
over the dirt, but not in distance, as the chestnut will be stretching out past
six furlongs for the first time while carrying 121 pounds in the Crescent City
Derby.
ZARB’S LUCK (Zarbyev) just missed making it four in a row two back in the
Louisiana Champions Day Sprint S., then returned to make it another close one in
an allowance at the Delta Downs meet at Evangeline Downs. The nine-year-old
veteran will begin yet another season on Saturday, this time while facing nine
other sprinters in the $100,000
Lagniappe Sprint S.
The biggest draw of Sunday’s four stakes events is Ballerina S. (G1) queen
HAPPY TICKET (Anet) in the $100,000
Lagniappe Ladies Sprint S. The Andrew Leggio Jr. trainee began her career at
Louisiana Downs, capturing her debut by 9 3/4 lengths and following that up with
eight straight wins over four different tracks. Her streak ended with a second
in the Princess Rooney H. (G2) at Calder, but she returned to the winner’s
circle with a bang in the Ballerina, scoring by 5 1/2 lengths over eventual
Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) heroine Pleasant Home. The five-year-old
bay returns here against eight rivals.
BADTOTHEBONEANDREW (On the Sauce) captured the Louisiana Champions Day
Classic over the track in his last one and will attempt to add another race with
“Classic” in the title to his credentials in the $100,000
Lagniappe Classic S. A field of seven will contest the 1 1/16-mile test,
including the 2004 Louisiana Champions Day Classic winner, WITT ANTE (Upping the
Ante).
Three-year-olds fillies will take their turn next in the $100,000
Crescent
City Oaks, with the one-two finishes from November’s Sarah Lane’s Oates H. — LEESTOWN
LIGHT (Leestown) and ROYAL MADAME (Royal Strand [Ire]), respectively — squaring
off again.
Fair Grounds will end its Lazarus meet with another three-year-old event, the
$75,000
Black Gold S. going 7 1/2 furlongs on the turf.