FAIR GROUNDS NOTEBOOK
JANUARY 9, 2009
by Steve Collison
Coming Up Saturday
INDYGO MOUNTAIN (A.P. INDY) is the 3-1 morning-line favorite among the field
of nine three-year-olds entered for the $100,000 Lecomte S. (G3), the featured
event of a six-stakes program here Saturday.
The 65th Lecomte, which starts the Louisiana Derby Series, is the 9TH race on
an 11-race “Road to the Derby” Kickoff Day program. First post Saturday is 12:30
p.m. (CST), with the Lecomte scheduled for 4:29.
Trained by Bret Calhoun, Indygo Mountain was scratched during the post parade
of a December 18 allowance race at Fair Grounds due to a minor foot problem, but
has had a pair of workouts since, including a five-furlong breeze Monday morning
over this surface in 1:03.40 over sloppy going. He won his last start at
Churchill Downs on November 19 by an impressive 6 1/4-length margin, and his
connections couldn’t be happier about the way he’s coming up to this event.
Jamie Theriot, seeking a second consecutive Fair Grounds riding title, will
break Indygo Mountain from the outside post. Capable of providing strong
competition is PATENA (Seeking the Gold), who captured the Display S. at
Woodbine by a head in his last trip to the post on December 6.
Track Surface
Although it has only been a week, thus far there’s been no noticeable change
to the racing surface since new track superintendent BRIAN JABELMANN took over.
Of course, that’s far too short of a time frame from which to make any lasting
evaluation and we must kept vigilant in the meantime. But everything is status
quo as far as handicapping and the racing surface goes. That’s to say it is a
far racing strip, notwithstanding the natural bias dictated by the long run
through the stretch that is the Fair Grounds.
Jockey Notes
Canadian based jockey Patrick Husbands, who rode here last year, will be
flying in to New Orleans this weekend to ride for the balance of the current
session.
“I’m picking him up at the airport Saturday morning,” said Husbands’ agent
Gary Kemplen earlier this week. “He’s been vacationing in Barbados, but he’s
ready to get back in action. I tried to get him a mount Saturday, but the race
didn’t go.
“We caught Jim McAleney for leading rider honors at Woodbine on the last day
of their meeting,” Kemplen added, “even though at one point we were 27 wins
behind him. I told Patrick, ‘If you want to be leading rider, I’m going to wear
you out,’ but he did everything I asked him to and it paid off for us.”
Perhaps due to his European training, Husbands is one of the few riders who
doesn’t use early speed as his main attribute. Instead he prefers to lay back
and come on with a late surge through the lane. This is most effective when
going long especially with a field full of speed.
Trainer Notes
Cold as Ice:
Lori Hendrickson: 0 for 15
Ray Sibille: 0 for 11
Bobby Barnett: 0 for 9
Francis Melancon: 0 for 27
Bernie Flint: 0 for 23
Thomas Proctor: 0 for 13
There are several surprising names above such as Bernie Flint and Tom
Proctor. Clearly these guys have just gotten off to a slow start and can be
expected to pick up the pace in the near future if not getting downright hot in
the coming weeks. We’ll wait and see.
Trainer Profile
MORRIS NICKS isn’t a name that you quickly associate with Fair Grounds
racing. But with a 30-percent winning clip heading into the new year, it would
behoove you to begin making that association. Nicks comes from a racing family
and has established himself as a standout at other circuits such as Oaklawn and
Arlington, and he’s just now earning attention here. Several factors jump out at
you concerning Nicks, not the least of which is his expertise with the distaff
side of the equine bred. Anything that he does well, he does better with fillies
and mares. And one thing Morris does extremely well with is taking runners long
before successfully cutting them back to a sprint. When this is combined with a
class move down the ladder it is a very effective and productive winning
pattern. And speaking of winning. Once this stable has a horse on a winning
path, they tend to keep on winning at a lofty rate that typically hovers around
30-percent. That number climbs even higher when that winner is seeking to repeat
while dropping in class. Historically this has always been considered a negative
trainer move and it is, except when Morris Nicks does it!
RECENT CLAIMS TO WATCH
Friday (1/2)
4TH — OBJECTIONSUSTAINED (Point Given), a first-time starter, showed
absolutely nothing today but was claimed by the astute Patrick Mouton. With this
poor first out form, Mouton has the luxury of dropping his new charge in class
first time off the claim without fear of losing her. Watch for him to do just
that while stretching her out to more desirable distance, which could produce a
quick turnaround at an inflated price.
HORSES TO WATCH
Thursday (1/1)
3RD — After a horrible debut performance, SOUTH LINE (Erlton) rebounded in a
big way going the second time around today. Showed excellent late run and
galloped out full of energy, and the three-year-old colt now looks to be on
course for a winning effort especially going longer than this 5 1/2-furlong
distance.
Friday (1/2)
6TH — AUTHENTIQUE (Authenticate) broke very slowly while making her debut
today and then was forced to race wide while making up ground. Trainer Ronnie
Werner is very good at finding the right spot for his young runners who are on
the verge as this three-year-old filly appears to now be.
Sunday (1/4)
7TH — RABBIT TRACKS (Mizzen Mast) was the victim of a plodding early pace
today and couldn’t catch the leader with a valiant late run through the lane.
The lightly raced colt can obviously do better under a more honest scenario.
BEWARE OF THESE
Friday (1/2)
3RD — CLARAS SUNRISE (Stormy Atlantic) has expensive breeding and started
off against maiden special weight company, but the three-year-old filly
suspiciously had a non-distinguished bug aboard. This typically illustrates a
runner with bad wheels whose trainer is attempting to keep as much weight as
possible off those troubled limbs. After running poorly, she was immediately
dropped down to a claimer which basically confirms our original suspicions, and
we wouldn’t put the house money on this one anytime soon.
7TH — NEREUS (Sea of Secrets) was claimed by Cody Autry for $35,000 in
August, and the trainer was immediately forced to give the gelding several
months away before bringing him back. Eventually Autry dropped him in for
$17,500 where won by daylight yet, and this is the key, never raised him back up
in class but rather preferred to lose him and be done. Was claimed by the solid
stable of Keith Bourgeois, but would suspect it was the owner insisting on
making this mistake and not Bourgeois.
YOUNG BLOODS
Thursday (1/1)
4TH — OMNISCIENT (Pulpit), a first-time starter, turned in a huge effort
today going short for trainer Steve Asmussen. Considering how well this stable
does on the rebound, watch for this one to come back going two turns as that’s
where he’s bred to excel.
Friday (1/2)
3RD — NOT MY FIRST RODEO (Rodeo), a modestly bred filly, was making her
career debut today for a stable that doesn’t do well with their first-time
starters. Not only that, but she was going in a sprint while being bred for
added ground and appeared out of sorts during the post parade. With all that
going against her, she still ran deceptively well and would love to see her
coming back going two turns.
5TH — MARSH ANGEL (Swamp), a modestly bred filly, doesn’t have turf breeding
yet that’s where she was making this debut. She did however perform quite well
despite the circumstances and will be difficult to deny next time out when
moving back to the main oval, which we suspect she will. The Louisiana-bred will
be a nice play coming back!