LA Derby Day undercard has many rematches
Mar 27, 2013 20:38:41 GMT -5
Post by Jon on Mar 27, 2013 20:38:41 GMT -5
Should be a great day of racing
Rematches abound on Louisiana Derby Day undercard
While the Louisiana Derby and Fair Grounds Oaks are the showcase events on Saturday at Fair Grounds, five other stakes help make up the undercard on the penultimate day of racing for the New Orleans venue's 2012-2013 Thoroughbred racing season.
Heading the undercard are a pair of graded contest -- the Grade 2, $400,000 New Orleans Handicap and Grade 2, $400,000 Mervin H. Muniz Jr. Handicap. While both are scheduled for 1 1/8 miles, the latter event will take place at about that distance on the Stall-Wilson Turf Course.
The New Orleans 'Cap drew a field of eight and features a rematch between the first-, second- and fourth-place finishers from the Grade 1 Donn Handicap on February 9. The Todd Pletcher-trained Grayday provided an upset in that nine-furlong affair, leading gate-to-wire for a three-length victory in his stakes bow. The four-year-old gray son of Unbridled's Song was only making his fourth career start in the Donn but couldn't be caught under jockey Edgar Prado, who retains the mount Saturday.
Bourbon Courage rallied for second in the Donn, five lengths in front of Take Charge Indy, who in turn had a neck up on the re-opposing Flat Out in fourth. Hero of the Grade 2 Super Derby last season, Bourbon Courage had subsequently placed second and third in the respective Grade 2 Indiana Derby and Grade 1 Clark Handicap. The Kellyn Gorder-trained son of Lion Heart had Javier Castellano in the irons for the Donn and keeps the rider aboard in the New Orleans 'Cap.
Flat Out was making his seven-year-old bow in the Donn off a third-place run in the Breeders' Cup Classic. The talented veteran defended his title in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park prior to those two starts, and will try to get back on the winning track Saturday for trainer Bill Mott. Junior Alvarado has the call aboard the Flatter bay.
Another rematch will also take place in the New Orleans Handicap, as Grade 3 Mineshaft Handicap winner Mark Valeski and runner-up Cool Street face-off yet again. Another in with a shot is Macho Macho, who is making his four-year-old debut in this spot off a runner-up effort in the Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby last September. Maxxam Gold Cup Handicap second Dreaming Blue and Majestic Harbor complete the field.
Two races later, 10 turf runners will line up in the Mervin H. Muniz Jr. Handicap, headed by Optimizer. The English Channel four-year-old easily captured the two local preps for the Muniz, taking the Grade 3 Colonel Bradley Handicap by 3 1/2 lengths on January 26 and the Grade 3 Fair Grounds Handicap by two lengths on February 23.
Prior to those efforts, the D. Wayne Lukas trainee was third in the Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup in California and fifth by just 1 1/2 lengths under the Twin Spires at Churchill Downs in the Grade 3 River City Handicap. The well-traveled bay also posted a 4 1/4-length score in the Grade 3 Kent last year at Delaware Park and keeps Jon Court in the irons while going for the Fair Grounds turf hat trick on Saturday.
Returning against Optimizer are the second- and third-place runners from both the Bradley and Fair Grounds 'Cap -- String King, Bim Bam and Two Months Rent. Also entered are Grade 2 Mac Diarmida hero Amira's Prince and Grade 3 Tampa Bay Stakes dead-heat runner-up Doubles Partner.
Rounding out the field are Grade 2 winner Willcox Inn, fourth in the Fair Grounds 'Cap; Grade 3-placed Fast Track; Brazilian-bred Group 3 victor Quality Control; and Grade 2 Fort Lauderdale second Tiz Sardonic Joe, who was fifth in the Tampa Bay Stakes.
All eyes will be focused on the three-year-olds running in the Louisiana Derby and Fair Grounds Oaks, but Louisiana-bred sophomores will also get their turn in the spotlight in a pair of $75,000 stakes. The Crescent City Derby will feature nine Pelican State-bred colts and geldings going 1 1/16 miles, including Pelican scorer Hero Force and Gentilly runner-up Hopeful Notion.
Earlier on the day, nine Louisiana-bred fillies will go a mile and 70 yards in the Crescent City Oaks, headed by Grade 3-placed dual stakes vixen Sittin at the Bar and stakes diva Ante Up Annie, who is cross-entered to the Fair Grounds Oaks.
Fair Grounds' Saturday stakes action will get underway in the $60,000 Costa Rising sending six Louisiana-bred older runners 1 1/16 miles. With state-bred legend and back-to-back Costa Rising winner Star Guitar now retired, the mantle falls to Populist Politics, last year's runner-up, to carry the torch forward.
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Rematches abound on Louisiana Derby Day undercard
While the Louisiana Derby and Fair Grounds Oaks are the showcase events on Saturday at Fair Grounds, five other stakes help make up the undercard on the penultimate day of racing for the New Orleans venue's 2012-2013 Thoroughbred racing season.
Heading the undercard are a pair of graded contest -- the Grade 2, $400,000 New Orleans Handicap and Grade 2, $400,000 Mervin H. Muniz Jr. Handicap. While both are scheduled for 1 1/8 miles, the latter event will take place at about that distance on the Stall-Wilson Turf Course.
The New Orleans 'Cap drew a field of eight and features a rematch between the first-, second- and fourth-place finishers from the Grade 1 Donn Handicap on February 9. The Todd Pletcher-trained Grayday provided an upset in that nine-furlong affair, leading gate-to-wire for a three-length victory in his stakes bow. The four-year-old gray son of Unbridled's Song was only making his fourth career start in the Donn but couldn't be caught under jockey Edgar Prado, who retains the mount Saturday.
Bourbon Courage rallied for second in the Donn, five lengths in front of Take Charge Indy, who in turn had a neck up on the re-opposing Flat Out in fourth. Hero of the Grade 2 Super Derby last season, Bourbon Courage had subsequently placed second and third in the respective Grade 2 Indiana Derby and Grade 1 Clark Handicap. The Kellyn Gorder-trained son of Lion Heart had Javier Castellano in the irons for the Donn and keeps the rider aboard in the New Orleans 'Cap.
Flat Out was making his seven-year-old bow in the Donn off a third-place run in the Breeders' Cup Classic. The talented veteran defended his title in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont Park prior to those two starts, and will try to get back on the winning track Saturday for trainer Bill Mott. Junior Alvarado has the call aboard the Flatter bay.
Another rematch will also take place in the New Orleans Handicap, as Grade 3 Mineshaft Handicap winner Mark Valeski and runner-up Cool Street face-off yet again. Another in with a shot is Macho Macho, who is making his four-year-old debut in this spot off a runner-up effort in the Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby last September. Maxxam Gold Cup Handicap second Dreaming Blue and Majestic Harbor complete the field.
Two races later, 10 turf runners will line up in the Mervin H. Muniz Jr. Handicap, headed by Optimizer. The English Channel four-year-old easily captured the two local preps for the Muniz, taking the Grade 3 Colonel Bradley Handicap by 3 1/2 lengths on January 26 and the Grade 3 Fair Grounds Handicap by two lengths on February 23.
Prior to those efforts, the D. Wayne Lukas trainee was third in the Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup in California and fifth by just 1 1/2 lengths under the Twin Spires at Churchill Downs in the Grade 3 River City Handicap. The well-traveled bay also posted a 4 1/4-length score in the Grade 3 Kent last year at Delaware Park and keeps Jon Court in the irons while going for the Fair Grounds turf hat trick on Saturday.
Returning against Optimizer are the second- and third-place runners from both the Bradley and Fair Grounds 'Cap -- String King, Bim Bam and Two Months Rent. Also entered are Grade 2 Mac Diarmida hero Amira's Prince and Grade 3 Tampa Bay Stakes dead-heat runner-up Doubles Partner.
Rounding out the field are Grade 2 winner Willcox Inn, fourth in the Fair Grounds 'Cap; Grade 3-placed Fast Track; Brazilian-bred Group 3 victor Quality Control; and Grade 2 Fort Lauderdale second Tiz Sardonic Joe, who was fifth in the Tampa Bay Stakes.
All eyes will be focused on the three-year-olds running in the Louisiana Derby and Fair Grounds Oaks, but Louisiana-bred sophomores will also get their turn in the spotlight in a pair of $75,000 stakes. The Crescent City Derby will feature nine Pelican State-bred colts and geldings going 1 1/16 miles, including Pelican scorer Hero Force and Gentilly runner-up Hopeful Notion.
Earlier on the day, nine Louisiana-bred fillies will go a mile and 70 yards in the Crescent City Oaks, headed by Grade 3-placed dual stakes vixen Sittin at the Bar and stakes diva Ante Up Annie, who is cross-entered to the Fair Grounds Oaks.
Fair Grounds' Saturday stakes action will get underway in the $60,000 Costa Rising sending six Louisiana-bred older runners 1 1/16 miles. With state-bred legend and back-to-back Costa Rising winner Star Guitar now retired, the mantle falls to Populist Politics, last year's runner-up, to carry the torch forward.
www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/editorial/news/article.cgi?id=35439&from=656