Suntracer seeks first graded score in Colonel Bradley

Whoodchopper hero Suntracer will make his stakes debut against older runners in the Colonel E.R. Bradley (Lou Hodges Jr./Hodges Photography) Suntracer, a bridesmaid of sorts in major grass races for three-year-olds in Chicago last year, ended his sophomore stakes slump by taking the Woodchopper Stakes at Fair Grounds on November 25. The newly turned four-year-old will try to make it two in a row, this time versus his elders, in Saturday’s Grade 3, $100,000 Colonel E.R. Bradley Handicap. Contested at about 1 1/16 miles on the turf, the Bradley is the second of two graded events on a six-stakes program at Fair Grounds highlighted by the Grade 3 Lecomte Stakes for three-year-olds. Runner-up in the Arlington Classic, Grade 2 American Derby and Grade 3 Hawthorne Derby, the Illinois-bred Suntracer found welcome class relief in the Woodchopper. Down 11 lengths and trailing the field of eight at the first call, the chestnut inhaled his rivals in the stretch and scored by 2 3/4 lengths under Rosie Napravnik. Neil Pessin, who typically assumes training duties for the Team Block runners at Fair Grounds, will again saddle the colt. Other major contenders include Strike Impact, four times stakes-placed in 2011; stakes winner Lonesome Street, a strong second in the Unbridled Stakes at Louisiana Downs when last seen in September; multiple stakes veteran Baltimore Bob; 2011 Bradley runner-up Dubious Miss, who has descended into the claiming ranks of late; and Mr. Vegas, a two-time allowance winner at the current Fair Grounds meet. The Bradley serves as a lead-in to the Grade 3 Fair Grounds Handicap on February 25 and the Grade 2 Mervin H. Muniz Jr. Memorial Handicap on April 1.

Nine older horses will square off in the $100,000
Louisiana Handicap over 1
1/16 miles, a prelude to the Grade 3 Mineshaft Handicap on February 25 and Grade 2 New Orleans Handicap on April 1. Invading
from out of town are the Steve Asmussen-trained Thiskyhasnolimit, who won the
Grade 3 Texas Mile last April before concluding a brief campaign with two
off-the-board finishes, and the Todd Pletcher-trained multiple stakes winner
Alma d’Oro, a close second in the Grade 3 Ack Ack Handicap two back.

Leading the locally-based hopefuls are Fast Alex and Gleam of Hope, who
were separated by a nose when occupying the top two slots in the December 17
Tenacious Handicap. Also expected to draw support is Glenwood Canyon, a stakes
winner at Hoosier Park in October and a solid third in the Ack Ack two back. He
was also cross-entered in the Bradley.

The $75,000 F.W. Gaudin Memorial, a six-furlong dash for older horses, drew a
strong but select group of five. Gantry, Cash Refund and Joe Hollywood finished
in that order in the opening day Thanksgiving Handicap, with Joe Hollywood
subsequently winning an allowance prep for the Gaudin by five lengths. The
six-year-old Cash Refund, the 2010 Gaudin winner, shares the honor of being the
oldest in the field with Mambo Galliano, whose second-place finish in the 2011
Gaudin was book-ended by victories in the Thanksgiving and Duncan F. Kenner
Stakes.

The $75,000
Pan Zareta Stakes attracted 13 fillies and mares to go about 5
1/2 furlongs on the turf. Notables include Wild About Marie, a perfect
four-for-four over the Fair Grounds turf and heroine of the Leggio Memorial a
year ago; Grade 3 veteran Rapport, a solid sixth in the Grade 2 Breeders’ Cup
Turf Sprint in her grass debut; and the streaking Flash Mash, a two-time
course-and-distance allowance winner already this meet.