Moreno Brings Class to New Orleans
Southern Equine Stables’ homebred Grade I winner Moreno makes the second start of his 5-year-old campaign on Saturday as the expected favorite of nine entrants in the Grade II $400,000 New Orleans Handicap at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. Over 1 1/8 miles on the main track, the New Orleans was won last year by subsequent Eclipse Award finalist Palace Malice and this year, in its 90th running, it offers a field flush with classic speed and promising upstarts.
Trained by Eric Guillot, Moreno exits a second to the world’s top-ranked horse, Shared Belief, in the Grade I $1 million Santa Anita Handicap on Mar. 7 at Santa Anita Park. The son of Ghostzapper will drop back a furlong in distance to the 1 1/8 miles at which he won the Grade I $1.5 million Whitney Handicap last year – his best career performance. A confirmed speed horse, Moreno has proven before that he can rate and that is something he may be forced to do on Saturday when he breaks from post five under Joe Talamo.
Expected to be the fastest of the fast in the early going is Jed Cohen’s multiple Group I-winning Argentinian horse Mystery Train. In four stateside races since being imported from South America, the son of Not For Sale has a single solid performance, but that was last out when a game pace-setting second in the local New Orleans prep – the Grade III $125,000 Mineshaft Handicap over 1 1/16 miles. Twice a winner at 10 furlongs on the dirt in his native country, the Darrell Vienna trainee has little stamina questions, but will be checked for class when he goes head-to-head with Moreno early on in the race. Francisco Torres, who was aboard for his Mineshaft effort, returns to the saddle form post three.
Probable to receive plenty of respect at the windows is Brereton C. Jones’ homebred Albano from the barn of Larry Jones. A visually impressive gate-to-wire winner last out in the $100,000 Maxxam Gold Cup at Sam Houston over this distance, the son of Istan was also second last year in the Grade I $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park and has consistently shown the ability to rate – which may come in handy in this seemingly speed-heavy renewal. Kerwin Clark will be aboard from post six.
Another graded stakes-class horse with speed is Twin Creeks Racing Stables’ homebred Red Rifle, who breaks from the rail under Florent Geroux for trainer Todd Pletcher. Third, 2½ lengths astern Mystery Train last out in the Mineshaft, the son of Giant’s Causeway should appreciate the additional real estate, as his best races have been at nine furlongs and beyond – including a gate-to-wire win in the 10-furlong Grade II $250,000 Hawthorne Gold Cup at Hawthorne Race Course in November the last time Geroux was in the irons.
Possibly overlooked but entering the race with the highest last-race speed figure is the late Jim Tafel’s Afford from the barn of Greg Geier. In his second start of 2015 on Mar. 1, the son of Street Sense made change of a talented field of allowance horses, including second- and third-place finishers Go Go Rocket (Brian Hernandez, Jr., post two) and Call Me George (James Graham, post nine), who also entered back in the New Orleans. Robby Albarado, who was aboard for that 5½-length waltz last out, returns from post four.
The remainder of the New Orleans field is comprised of impressive local allowance winner Indycott (Richard Eramia, post seven), from the stable of leading trainer Tom Amoss and leading owner Maggi Moss, and recent restricted stakes winner One King’s Man (Miguel Mena, post eight), who wears the red and white of leading national owners Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey and starts for promising young trainer Joe Sharp.
Source: Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots