The field of older males contesting Saturday’s $250,000 Mineshaft (G3) at Fair Grounds won’t have to worry about Saudi Crown, who dominated a similar field in last month’s Louisiana (G3) but is now bound for the Middle East. However, trainer Brad Cox appears to have an able substitute for the Mineshaft in Grade 3 veteran Best Actor, who enters the 1 1/16-mile race on a two-race win streak.
Victorious in the Smarty Jones (G3) at Parx at three, the five-year-old Best Actor was sidelined from late September 2022 until the final day of June last summer. After a couple of losses at Ellis Park, Best Actor concluded his abbreviated campaign with a pair of allowance wins, one at Aqueduct and the other at Churchill Downs.
Red Route One and Happy American are back for the Mineshaft after being Saudi Crown’s closest pursuers in the Louisiana. Farther up the track was multiple Grade 2 winner Smile Happy, who trailed in his first start since July and might fare better this time.
Invading from Florida are Dubyuhnell and Gasoline, both of whom finished unplaced in the Dec. 30 Harlan’s Holiday (G3).
The three grass stakes at Fair Grounds on Saturday resemble similar features run last month. The $175,000 Fair Grounds (G3), for older horses at nine furlongs, includes Strong Quality, who just held off Beatbox to take the Colonel E.R. Bradley S. over a sixteenth shorter on Jan. 20.
Gigante, a four-time stakes winner last term including the Secretariat (G2), looks a solid prospect for Steve Asmussen, while the consistent Chasing the Crown steps from the allowance ranks for Mike Maker.
Multiple stakes winner Spirit and Glory, a head second to Closing Remarks in the Yellow Ribbon H. (G2) at Del Mar last summer, invades for the $100,000 Albert M. Stall Memorial for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles. Other logical threats are Creative Cairo and Join the Dance, one-two in last months Marie Krantz Memorial.
The $100,000 Colonel Power S. at 5 1/2 furlongs marks a rubber match between Just Might and Sousa Summer, who traded decisions in the Richard Scherer Memorial and Duncan F. Kenner S. earlier in the meet. Minnesota Ready will look to improve on his third-place performance in both races.
