A convincing winner of the Golden Rod S. (G2) in her juvenile finale and the
Martha Washington S. to kick off her sophomore campaign, RACHEL ALEXANDRA (Medaglia
d’Oro) will seek to enhance her credentials for the Kentucky Oaks (G1) when she
heads a field of six three-year-old fillies in Saturday’s $400,000
Fair
Grounds Oaks (G2) at 1 1/16 miles, one of five stakes, three of them graded,
which comprise the Louisiana Derby (G2) undercard.
Trained by Hal Wiggins, Rachel Alexandra won her maiden in her second start
at Churchill Downs last June, then finished a close second in the Debutante S.
(G3). Returning from a near four-month layoff, the bay registered a three-length
allowance score at Keeneland before securing another second-place effort against
stakes foes in the Pocahontas S. (G3). Rachel Alexandra then ran away with the
Golden Rod by 4 3/4 lengths, then demolished an overmatched Martha Washington
crew by eight lengths last month. Calvin Borel, her pilot for her two recent
scores, will be back aboard as she breaks from post 3.
FOUR GIFTS (Even the Score), the Delta Princess S. (G3) winner, will attempt
to rebound from two recent losses over this track. The Steve Asmussen charge was
third in the Tiffany Lass S. on January 10, then was a clear second behind her
now sidelined stablemate War Echo (Tapit) in the Silverbulletday S. (G3). Robby
Albarado will be aboard the gray lass as she breaks from post 2.
The likely pacesetter in the Fair Grounds Oaks is WAR TIGRESS (War Chant),
who led until the turn for home in the Silverbulletday before tiring to fifth. A
winner in three of four starts on turf prior to that race, she will again try to
demonstrate her versatility, this time with James Graham taking the reins.
The rest of the Fair Grounds Oaks field consists of AFRICAN SKIES (GB)
(Johannesburg), who captured the Princess Margaret S. (Eng-G3) at Ascot last
year and was a fading fifth behind champion Stardom Bound (Tapit) in the Las
Virgenes S. (G1) in her American debut; FLYING SPUR (Giant’s Causeway), a
non-threatening fourth in the Silverbulletday following her January 5 maiden
score; and OUR DAHLIA (Belong to Me), the Gulfstream Park invader who broke her
maiden on dirt then edged a first-level allowance field on the grass for trainer
Ken McPeek.
In contrast to the short Oaks cast, a full field of 14 has been assembled for
the $500,000
Mervin H.
Muniz Jr. Memorial H. (G2), Fair Grounds’ premier grass race for older
horses at about 1 1/8 miles.
PROUDINSKY (Ger) (Silvano [Ger]), who captured this event last year by a
length over yielding ground, is back to defend his title. The six-year-old went
winless after the Muniz until scoring by three parts of a length in the December
28 San Gabriel H. (G2) at Santa Anita, the same race trainer Bobby Frankel used
to prep the veteran a year ago.
Mark Frostad will send out the Sam-Son Farms entry of FRENCH BERET (Broad
Brush) and WINDWARD ISLANDS (Cozzene). The former finished second behind
Proudinsky in the 2008 Muniz, but enters off of a modest sixth in the Fair
Grounds H. (G3). Two races back, French Beret captured the Colonel E.R. Bradley
H. (G3) for the second straight year.
Windward Islands, who is seeking his initial graded stakes triumph, improved
on his fifth in the Bradley to finish a closing second in the Fair Grounds H.
The gelded five-year-old’s signature victory thus far has been the 2007 Toronto
Cup at Woodbine.
Multiple Grade 3 star SOLDIER’S DANCER (Lost Soldier) has potentially crucial
experience overhauling large fields, most recently rallying from last to win
over 12 rivals in the Sunshine Millions Turf at Santa Anita on January 24.
Rafael Bejarano, who was aboard for that score, retains the mount.
Other notables in the Muniz are Grade 1 veteran BRASS HAT (Prized); multiple
stakes winner and Bradley runner-up GOLDEN YANK (Yankee Gentleman); Grade 2
winners NOWNOWNOW (Whywhywhy), WESLEY (El Prado [Ire]) and SIR WHIMSEY (Jump
Start); Grade 3 winners TRANSDUCTION GOLD (Formal Gold) and DEMARCATION (Gulch);
and the multiple Grade 3-placed stakes winner CORRUPT (Belong to Me).
Golden Yank was also cross-entered in the $500,000
New
Orleans H. (G2), a nine-furlong event for older horses. The top five
finishers of the recent Mineshaft H. (G3) are all back, including the dominating
4 1/4-length winner of that event, the Larry Jones-trained HONEST MAN
(Unbridled’s Song).
IT’S A BIRD (Birdonthewire), a decisive 5 1/4-length winner of the Sunshine
Millions Classic at Gulfstream, invades from Florida for Marty Wolfson. Fresh
off victories in last weekend’s Santa Anita H. (G1) and Azeri S. (G3), jockey
Julien Leparoux will be back aboard the six-year-old veteran. Also invading from
Florida is Grade 2 scorer DRY MARTINI (Slew Gin Fizz), second to It’s a Bird in
the Sunshine Millions last time. Others of note are Grade 2 winner and
classic-placed MACHO AGAIN (Macho Uno); Super Derby (G2) romper MY PAL CHARLIE
(Indian Charlie), who was fourth in his seasonal debut in the Mineshaft; and the improving RICHARD’S KID (Lemon
Drop Kid), recent winner of the John B. Campbell H. at Laurel, whose owners
won the New Orleans with Concern in 1995 and Include in 2001.
A solid group of sprinters will contest the $125,000
Duncan F.
Kenner S. over six furlongs, including Canadian champion KODIAK KOWBOY
(Posse); recent Mr. Prospector S. (G3) winner IKIGAI (Whywhywhy); and SOK SOK
(Trippi), who is undefeated in two previous stakes attempts over the Fair
Grounds’ main oval.
The stakes action kicks off with the $75,000
Bienville S. for fillies and mares at about 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf. The
probable favorite is CLASSIFY (Unbridled’s Song), who followed up her grassy
score in the Dr. A.B. Leggio Memorial H. with a second-place effort to PRECIOUS
KISS (Kissin Kris) in the Pan Zareta S. on dirt last time.