Fair Grounds: Exfactor, Applauding Doing Fine

Stoneway Farm’s Exfactor, who kicked his stall and developed swelling in a hind leg in the days before Saturday’s Grade III Lecomte Stakes, was in good order Sunday morning, his trainer Bernie Flint said.

“He’s fine today,” said Flint following Exfactor’s 11th place finish in Saturday’s Lecomte. “We just missed two days of training with him – that’s all it was – but there was nothing we could do about that.”

Exfactor, winner of Churchill’s Grade III Bashford Manor Stakes last July 2, successfully returned to competition in Fair Grounds’ $58,000 Sugar Bowl Stakes Dec. 17 prior to kicking his stall.

Ramona Bass’s Applauding, the odds-on morning line favorite for last Saturday’s $125,000 Silverbulletday Stakes before being scratched due to a mild case of colic race on the morning of the race, was improving Sunday, according to trainer Al Stall Jr.

“She seems a lot better today than she was yesterday,” Stall said.

NAPRAVNIK NOT RIDING SUNDAY 

Defending Fair Grounds jockey champion and current leading rider Rosie Napravnik cancelled off all her mounts Sunday due to a sore foot, according to her agent Derek Ducoing.

“She’s just a little sore (from ankle injuries sustained earlier this month) and needs a couple of days off to recuperate,” Ducoing said. “I think she’ll be back to riding by Wednesday.”