Lone Sailor, Blended Citizen lead Fair Grounds' Tenacious Stakes

Photo: Dustin Orona Photography/Remington Park

Graded stakes winners Lone Sailor and Blended Citizen are among 10 older horses entered in Saturday’s $75,000 Tenacious Stakes at Fair Grounds Racecourse. There are a few more familiar faces set to contest the one mile and seventy-yard contest which will be run as Race 12 on the 14-race program.

G M B Racing’s Lone Sailor enters the Tenacious off a three-month layoff. The 4-year-old colt by Majestic Warrior last raced Sept. 8, when he finished 10th as the favorite in South Korea’s Korea Cup (G1). The Tom Amoss trainee captured the Oklahoma Derby (G3) last year and was also second in the Louisiana Derby (G2) and third in the Haskell Invitational (G1).

So far in 2019, in addition to his run in the Korea Cup, Lone Sailor finished second in the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) and third in both the Gold Cup at Santa Anita (G1) and the New Orleans Handicap (G2).

Lone Sailor will be ridden by James Graham and will break from Post 1.

Blended Citizen will be making just his second start for trainer Brad Cox after starting out his career with Doug O’Neill. Blended Citizen, a 4-year-old son of Proud Citizen, won his last start, an $80,000 optional claiming race on Nov. 28 at Churchill Downs. As a 3-year-old, Blended Citizen won the Peter Pan (G3) and the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3).

Blended Citizen will break from Post 2 and will be ridden by Florent Geroux.

Pioneer Spirit will break from Post 4 and will have David Cohen in the saddle. The 6-year-old veteran has hit the board in 21 of 27 starts. Third in this event last year, Pioneer Spirit has won back-to-back renewals of Indiana Grand's Michael G. Schaefer Memorial in 2018 and 2019. Earlier this year he was third in the Oaklawn Handicap (G2) and Oaklawn Mile.

The Steve Asmussen-trained Tenfold will try and get back into the winner’s circle for the first time since taking the Pimlico Special (G3) in May. Winner of the Jim Dandy (G2) and third in the Preakness Stakes (G1) last year, Tenfold was last seen finishing sixth behind Tom’s d’Etat in the Fayette Stakes (G2) at Keeneland in October.

Tenfold will be ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr. and break from Post 5.

Captivating Moon is still searching for his breakout victory, after hitting-the-board in such races as the American Turf (G2), American Derby (G3) and Arlington Handicap (G3). The Chris Block trainee will break from Post 10 and be ridden by Corey Lanerie.

The Tenacious goes as Race 12 of 14 on Fair Grounds' "Santa Super Saturday" card with post time 6:19 p.m. ET. Tom's d'Etat won the 2018 edition on his way to trying the Pegasus World Cup (G1).