Fair Grounds, Mineshaft handicaps highlight preview day undercard

Fair Grounds, Mineshaft handicaps highlight preview day

undercard

The Louisiana Derby Preview Day at Fair Grounds is not just about the

three-year-olds. Saturday's program at Fair Grounds also features the final local

preps for the Mervin H. Muniz Jr. Memorial H. (G2) and New Orleans H. (G2),

both scheduled for the March 26 Louisiana Derby (G2) undercard.

The stronger of the two races Saturday appears to be the Muniz prep, the

$125,000

Fair Grounds H. (G3) at about nine furlongs on the turf. Twelve older males

have been entered including the top three from the January 22 Colonel E.R.

Bradley H. (G3) -- GRAN ESTRENO (Arg) (Lucky Roberto), DUBIOUS MISS (E Dubai)

and JOINEM (Johar) -- as well as noted veterans LOUP BRETON (Ire) (Anabaa) and

TELLING (A.P. Indy).

Gran Estreno will be seeking his third win of the meet in the Fair Grounds Handicap (Hodges Photography/Lou Hodges Jr.) Gran Estreno and Dubious Miss both endured wide trips around both turns in the Bradley, but it was Gran Estreno who handled the circumstances better as he drove clear to win by 1 1/4 lengths on yielding ground. It was the second straight win of the meet for Gran Estreno, who's won five of his last nine including a second straight renewal of the Washington Park H. (G3). The Gran Estreno-Dubious Miss rivalry dates back to the 2009 Washington Park, which Gran Estreno won by a half-length over Dubious Miss. Dubious Miss was second in the Fair Grounds H. last season to the Todd Pletcher-trained Blues Street (Street Cry [Ire]) and later captured the Ben Ali S. (G3) on Polytrack. Off six months following that win, Dubious Miss was far up the track in both the Fayette S. (G2) and Clark H. (G1) before running third in the Tenacious H. on the Fair Grounds main track prior to the Bradley. Blue Street will not be making a title defense but Pletcher will be represented by a relatively new acquisition, Loup Breton. Formerly with Julio Canani, Loup Breton captured the San Marcos S. (G2) and ran a close third in the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (G1) last season before tailing off during the summer. The Wildenstein Stable colorbearer has not raced since trailing the field of seven in the Eddie Read S. (G1) at Del Mar in late July.

Telling, who's won the last two renewals of the Sword Dancer Invitational

(G1), will be cutting back in distance after concentrating on marathon events

the past couple of seasons. The Steve Hobby charge was unplaced in five other

starts in 2010 but has attempted to keep fit while dodging the snow and ice

at Oaklawn Park over the past several weeks.

The Fair Grounds 'Cap marks the return to action of WORKIN AT HOPS (City

Zip), a two-time winner over the local turf during the 2009-10 season. After

leaving New Orleans last spring, Workin for Hops developed into one of the more

consistent grass specialists among three year-olds, winning the American Derby

(G2) and Arlington Classic and placing in the Secretariat S. (G1), Colonial Turf

Cup (G2) and Kent S. (G3). His two Fair Grounds wins included a five-length romp

in the Grindstone S.

Others of note in the Fair Grounds H. are Grade 2 veteran EXPANSION (Maria's

Mon) and stakes winner SLEEPLESS KNIGHT (War Chant). Multiple Grade 3 winner LE

GRAND CRU (Dynaformer) and Grade 3-placed MIDNIGHT MISCHIEF (Medaglia d'Oro)

were cross-entered in the $125,000

Mineshaft

H. (G3), a 1 1/16-mile prep for the New Orleans H.

Mission Impazible scored a 7-1 upset of the 2010 Louisiana Derby (Hodges Photography) The Mineshaft features last year's Louisiana Derby hero MISSION IMPAZIBLE (Unbridled's Song), who was out of action nearly nine months after a ninth-place run in the Kentucky Derby (G1). His return race was a good one, a second-place try in a second-level allowance/optional claimer at Gulfstream on January 23. APART (Flatter) has disappointed in two starts since winning the Super Derby (G2) and Ack Ack H. (G3) last fall, fading to seventh in the Clark and finishing second as the odds-on choice in the January 22 Louisiana H. The Adele Dilschneider homebred found himself down 15 lengths early in the latter, and simply couldn't overcome that deficit while chasing a moderate early pace. Also exiting the Louisiana are COUNTRY FLAVOR (Empire Maker) and Z HUMOR (Distorted Humor), who finished a neck apart two back in the December 18 Tenacious. Multiple Grade 3 hero DEMARCATION (Gulch) and Spend a Buck H. (G3) victor MAD FLATTER (Flatter) are also among the nine entrants.

Last-out Bonapaw S. winner DUE DATE (El Prado [Ire]) is the likely favorite

in the $60,000

Colonel

Power S., an about 5 1/2-furlong turf dash, but main-track specialists CASH

REFUND (Petionville) and MAMBO GALLIANO (Black Mambo) are also expected to

attract support.

A wide-open field of eight fillies and mares will contest the $60,000

Pan Zareta

S. over six furlongs. WILD ABOUT MARIE (Wildcat Heir) goes turf-to-dirt

after scoring a 10-1 upset of the Dr. A.B. Leggio Memorial S. last month, while

MOONTUNE MISSY (Forest Wildcat) will attempt to recapture the form that saw her

finish second by a head in last September's Gallant Bloom H. (G2).