Makes Expects Big Effort From International Star
If a ‘house horse’ could ever not be based at the actual ‘house’ track, then that would be Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey’s Mike Maker-trained International Star. In four starts at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, the son of Fusaichi Pegasus is undefeated – all in stakes company – including a rousing win in last year’s meet centerpiece, the Grade II Louisiana Derby.
This year, the compact bay kicked off 4-year-old campaign at the New Orleans oval with a chic victory in the $75,000 Louisiana Stakes over 1 1/16 miles, quickly inhaling his rivals and then holding off a resurgent Eagle in the final yards by a comfortable 1½ lengths. Next on his Pelican State plan is a run in the Grade III $125,000 Mineshaft Handicap on Saturday, in which a big effort could earn him a trip to the richest race in the world, the Group I $10,000,000 Dubai World Cup on Mar. 26 at Meydan.
“I think he’s a good horse (not just a horse-for-course),” Maker said. “He obviously likes the track, so if it’s not broke, don’t fix it at this point.
“I expect the same effort, if not better this time,” Maker continued. “A duplicate of the last race would be fine to move forward with him (to Dubai).”
LEMON DROP BELLE UNDER THE RADAR IN RACHEL ALEXANDRA
While much of the attention later in the card will be on Dallas Stewart trainee Tom’s Ready in the Grade II $400,000 Veterans Ford Risen Star – as the G M B Racing-owned colt is expected to be one of the favorites – two races prior the McComb, Mississippi, native flies under the radar in the Grade II $200,000 TwinSpires.com Rachel Alexandra Stakes with a lightly raced daughter of Lemon Drop Kid named Lemon Drop Belle.
Twice raced, the smallish chestnut filly debuted in November while trained by Micheala Neubauer at Woodbine in Canada. Victorious in said seven-furlong trial, while closing from last, the Charles Fipke homebred was turned over to Stewart for a sophomore campaign. She made her Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots debut in a one-mile allowance/optional claiming event where she vied for the lead throughout and then lost on the wire after switching leads in the final yards under Brian Hernandez, Jr. Junior Alvarado will ride from post five in the Rachel Alexandra.
“We got her when we first came to Fair Grounds,” Stewart said. “She went to Florida after her first race and was pretty light when we got her. We only worked her a couple times and then ran her and she ran well. She uses her whole body when she runs and is a very healthy filly.
“Hopefully (Alvarado) can lay off the pace with her and finish strong,” Stewart continued. “He’s a strong rider. I think she’s going to move up from that race and it’s a good time to take a shot with her (in stakes company).”
CLEARLY NOW THE CLEAR CLASS IN KENNER
If there is one horse on Saturday’s stakes-packed card at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots to label a standout in its race, such could arguably be best attributed to Brittlyn Stables’ Clearly Now. An eye-opening victor last out in allowance company over the six-furlong trip he will attack once again in the $60,000 Duncan F. Kenner Stakes, the son of Horse Greeley brings considerable back-class and ability as a multiple graded stakes winner who seems to be once again finding his stride.
“He’s really coming in well,” said trainer Ron Faucheux. “He’s really sharp and training well. I’m just trying to keep his feet on the ground. He had an easy half-mile work going into this one. We know the distance is no question, even though he’s more of a seven-eighths horse. I just think we need to run our race and we’ll be okay. Hopefully there’s no speed bias, but I’m not too concerned.
“I’ll let (jockey) Jose (Valdivia, Jr.) decide how he’ll be placed,” Faucheux continued. “It’s better for him if he gets him out and puts him into the race and makes that middle move on his own. He’s just a horse where not too many can kick home better than him.”
Not speaking idly of his charge, Faucheux need only point to the 6-year-old bay horse’s performance in the seven-furlong Grade III Belmont Sprint in which he set a new course record with a time of 1:19.96 while winning by 6¼ lengths and earning a career-high 113 Beyer Speed Figure. Trained at that time by Brian Lynch, he was purchased privately after winning a Saratoga allowance this summer and turned over to Faucheux, for whom he has made two starts, including a third in the $60,000 Thanksgiving Handicap on Nov. 26.
CONSISTENT ROMAN APPROVAL SEEKS FIRST STAKES
Three Diamonds Farm’s Roman Approval has been nothing if not consistent for trainer Mike Maker. Since being moved into stakes company last July, the son of Roman Ruler has finished in the top four in all five added-money attempts, including three runner-up finishes. Unfortunately, the hard-trying and versatile 5-year-old has yet to earn a black-type victory for the vast Maker operation. Such could change in the Grade III $125,000 Fair Grounds Handicap, which goes as the 10th of 12 races at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots on Saturday, Feb. 20.
“He’s just a working man’s horse who shows up every time no matter what,” Maker said. “He’s very consistent at many distances.”
Proven effective during that time from 1 1/16 miles – like when finishing a hard-charging second last out in the local Grade III $125,000 Col. E. R. Bradley Handicap – to the marathon distance of 1½ miles, Roman Approval seems to do his best running from on or near the lead.
“I think he’ll be closer this time,” Maker continued. “He should have been last time. He broke well and probably should have been involved more in the race. I’d like to see him up there.”
Javier Castellano teams up with the dark bay horse for the first time from post three.
COX HAS ADEPT DUO IN DAISY DEVINE
Trainer Brad Cox has had a huge season at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots thus far, including an enviable 37% strike rate through Monday’s card and currently ranking in second-place in the standings behind Mike Stidham with 22 wins from 60 starts. Cox will try to keep that momentum going on Saturday when he starts two of the logical players in the $60,000 Daisy Devine Stakes over the Stall-Wilson turf course in Elm Racing’s morning-line favorite Street of Gold and Richard and Bertram Klein’s current meet stakes winner Cash Control.
“I’m really super-pleased with how (Street of Gold) is doing now,” Cox said. “She will probably fall out the back door from the three-hole and do her thing and make a run late. Cash Control shouldn’t get in her way with her early speed. You hate running horses against each other, but they should complement each others’ styles.”
While Street of Gold exits a closing win in the Marie G. Krantz Memorial of the identical course, distance and purse, Cash Control has done her running in recent starts on the dirt, including a local win in the $50,000 Tiffany Lass Stakes on Dec. 19going a mile and 70 yards. In her turf tries, she has faced some talented foes, including out-gaming Lovely Loyree in a September Churchill Downs allowance. Lovely Loyree was last seen finishing third to champion Tepin last week in the Grade III Endeavor Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. Cash Control exits a fourth – beaten 2¼ lengths – in the $100,000 Pippin Stakes on the Oaklawn dirt.
“There weren’t a lot of options for Cash Control,” Cox continued. “She came out of her last race at Oaklawn well. We initially flirted with running her in the Krantz and we jumped out last minute and decided to go to Oaklawn. She’s done really well at Fair Grounds and trained well here, so we thought we should let her run here. She’s proven on the grass and raced against nice fillies. Numbers-wise she’s about the same on the grass as opposed to the dirt, so we’re not just running her to be running her.”
FAUFILER OUT OF DAISY DIVINE
Confirmed by the racing office, Flaxman Holdings’ regally bred homebred Faufiler will not make the trip from Florida for the $60,000 Daisy Devine Stakes. By Galileo out of Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Six Perfections, the bay 5-year-old mare and Graham Motion trainee would have been one of the likely favorites based on her back-class.
FULL-BROTHER TO UNTAPABLE DEBUTS SATURDAY
Winchell Thoroughbreds could have a big day on its hands Saturday in New Orleans. The Kentucky-based outfit will not only watch in earnest as its highly touted Steve Asmussen-trained Gun Runner – which it co-owns with Three Chimneys Farm – starts as one of the logical choices in the Grade II $400,000 Veterans Ford Risen Star Stakes on Saturday at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, but they will also unveil a full-brother to champion Untapable in the form of Taprize, who debuts in the third race.
By Tapit, Taprize is out of Fun House, a Grade II winner for trainer Ron McAnally who finished up her career with three starts for Asmussen, including a runner-up finish at the Fair Grounds in the $60,000 Fur Sail Handicap in her swan song. Like his half-brother and Grade I winner Paddy O’Prado, Taprize is a gray.
Shaun Bridgmohan rides from the rail post in the eight-horse field that also features the debuts of Lothenbach Stables’ Scarf It Down, a half-brother to Grade I winner Idiot Proof, and Charles Fipke’s Seeking the Soul, the first foal from Grade I-placed and Grade III Iowa Oaks winner Seeking the Title.
After doing much of his recent training at Sam Houston, Taprize had his first work over the local surface on Wednesdaywhen breezing a half-mile in 49.80.
WORK TAB (TUE-THR)
One of the queens of Fair Grounds, Untapable worked five furlongs in 1:01.80 for trainer Steve Asmussen and owner Winchell Thoroughbreds. The champion and five-time Grade I winner has impressed onlookers with her appearance since returning to training last month.
Stoneway Farm’s homebred graded stakes winner Ahh Chocolate continued working toward her 4-year-old bow with a four-furlong move in 48.80. Unraced since winning the Grade II Falls City Handicap at Churchill Downs on Nov. 26, the Neil Howard-trained daughter of Candy Ride has had three works in as many weeks. Howard was reportedly very pleased with the work and is aiming toward a March undetermined comeback race.
Brereton C. Jones’ Albano, a graded stakes winner who has been off since last summer, continued working toward his comeback with a three-furlong move in 37 flat for trainer Larry Jones.
Multiple stakes-winning Oklahoma-bred Ibaka worked a half-mile in 49.20 for trainer Bret Calhoun and owner-breeder Doug Wall. Passing on the Grade III $125,000 Fair Grounds Handicap, the 8-for-17 son of Uncle Abbie won the $60,000 Buddy Diliberto Memorial two back on Dec. 19 over the Stall-Wilson turf course.
Fresh off an upset victory in the $200,000 Louisiana Premier Night Championship two weeks ago, multiple stakes-winning Louisiana-bred Stormdriver worked a sharp half-mile in 48.60 for trainer Pat Devereux, Jr. and owner Fruition Racing.
Grade II winner Just Wicked worked a half-mile in 50.20 for trainer trainer Steve Asmussen and owner Winchell Thoroughbreds.
Well-regarded Jensen, who is expected to run next week in allowance company at Fair Grounds as a possible prep for the Grade II $1 million Louisiana Derby, worked five furlongs in 1:02 flat for breeder-owner-trainer Larry Jones.
L T B, Inc. and Hillerich Racing’s recent stakes winner One Mean Man worked five furlongs in 1:00 flat. The Bernie Flint-trained full-brother to graded stakes winner Mizz Money – who runs Saturday in the $60,000 Daisy Devine Stakes – won the $60,000 Keith Gee Memorial in late January.
Source: Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots