Ahh Chocolate, Savings Account Prepare to Battle in Esplanade

Friday’s $50,000 Esplanade Stakes produced an eight-horse field of impressive proportions, including last out Grade II winner Ahh Chocolate and recently Grade I-placed Savings Account. At a mile and 70 yards over Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots’ main track, the Esplanade also attracted stakes winners Steel Cut and Brooklynsway, as well as last-out allowance winners Tiz Lately and Emmajestic.

 

The expected favorite is 5-2 morning-line choice Ahh Chocolate. A Stoneway Farm homebred daughter of Candy Ride, the Neil Howard trainee began her career at the New Orleans oval on Feb. 21, 2015 – Risen Star Day – with an eye-opening graduation over subsequent stakes filly Thoughtless. She went on to quickly become graded stakes-placed around two turns before breaking through at said level in her 3-year-old finale, the Grade II $200,000 Falls City Handicap on Nov. 26 in which she impressively drew clear of her rivals by 1½ lengths under Brian Hernandez, Jr. Hernandez has the mount again from the rail in what is likely a prep for the Grade I $600,000 Apple Blossom Handicap on Apr. 15.

 

Savings Account is the 3-1 second-choice on the morning line for the always-dangerous barn of Tom Proctor. From an outfit that has started just three horses at the meet, hitting the board with two of those, the 5-year-old gray daughter of Medaglia d’Oro was second last out to kick off her campaign in the $50,000 Wayward Lass Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. Three back, the Heider Family Stables and Craig Bernick-owned mare was a distant third behind champion Beholder in the Grade I Zenyatta Stakes at Santa Anita. James Graham picks up the mount from post two.

 

Naveed Chowhan’s Brooklynsway, 6-1, will make her first start on dirt after 13 career races in Canada over Woodbine’s turf and Polytrack surfaces. Previously trained by John Ross, she is now in the care of Bernie Flint and has posted a series of strong works over the local strip. A four-time stakes-winning daughter of Giant Gizmo, she easily leads the field in earnings with $537,241 – more than both Ahh Chocolate and Savings Account combined. Robby Albarado rides from post six.