Fair Grounds: Spirit of St Louis leads Chad Brown pair in Muniz

Holding the record with three wins in the Grade 2, $300,000 Muniz Memorial presented by Horse Racing Nation, Chad Brown also holds the top pair as the trainer entered Spirit of St Louis and Redistricting in the feature turf stake on Louisiana Derby Day at Fair Grounds. With a dozen older males set to run in the 1 1/8 miles contest, the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational winner Spirit of St Louis earned 3-1 morning line favoritism.

Scheduled for Saturday, March 22, the Muniz Memorial is one of eight added money events on Louisiana Derby Day, which will showcase our sport’s top 3-year-olds in the $1 million Louisiana Derby (G2) and the $400,000 Fair Grounds Oaks (G2), the first preps on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and Oaks to offer 200 total qualifying points.

The 12-race Louisiana Derby day program averages 11 runners per field, not including also-eligibles. The Muniz is slated as race 10 and first post is 1 p.m. EDT.

Bred in New York, Spirit of St Louis’s resume is not short on stakes wins, but Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, and Richard Schermerhorn’s 6-year was unproven against graded-stakes company until his smashing performance in the Pegasus World Cup Turf at Gulfstream Park. Spirit of St Louis received a perfect midpack trip under Tyler Gaffalione before tipping out and flying late to nail Integration at the wire. Gaffalione will be back aboard the gelded son of Medaglia d’Oro who drew post 6.

Rounding out Brown’s Muniz hand is Klaravich Stables’ lightly-raced 5-year-old Redistricting. Sent off as the favorite in each of his two 4-year-old starts, Redistricting ran second in both the Knickerbocker (G3) at Belmont and the Seabiscuit (G3) at Del Mar. Made the 9-2 third choice in the morning line, the son of Kingman will be guided from post 5 by Flavien Prat.

After scoring with Casino Host in 2012 and Bricks and Mortar in 2019, Brown earned his record third Muniz title last year with I’m Very Busy.

Brown is not the only trainer with two entries as both Cherie DeVaux and Mike Maker have a pair signed on for the Muniz.

Top billing from DeVaux’s barn goes to Klein Racing’s Brilliant Berti who has amassed over $1.6 million dollars from five wins, including his last start as a 3-year-old when the son of Noble Mission took the Bryan Station (G3) at Keeneland. Drawing post 8 and tabbed at 5-1, Brilliant Berti will see Brian Hernandez Jr. return to the irons.

DeVaux’s other entry Rebel Red was tabbed as the 4-1 second choice. The well-bred son of Frankel has three wins from six starts with the barn, and the 5-year-old ran third behind Integration in the Red Smith (G2) at Aqueduct, his only graded stakes try to date. Attracting the meet leading rider Jose Ortiz, Rebel Red undoubtedly will attract the betting public’s attention in the Muniz.

What Say Thee, owned by, Paradise Farms and David Staudacher, leads Maker’s pair. The Texas Turf Classic winner finished a game third last out in the Fair Grounds Stakes (G3) and boasts three wins from five tries at the Muniz distance. Owned by Freddy Lewis Jr., Smokey Mandate enters the Muniz sharp after a local allowance win for Maker at the end of February.

Having won the first two stakes in the series for older turf males, Gigante exits a flat effort in the Fair Grounds. Drawing the rail and attracting Joel Rosario, the Steve Asmussen-trained millionaire will make his second start for new owners L and N Racing and Clark Brewster.