Stidham's Rapid Rhythm, Full Tap headline Battle of New Orleans
Ten fillies and mares have entered next Saturday’s second running of the $50,000 Battle of New Orleans Stakes over 5½ grassy furlongs of the Stall-Wilson turf course, including a pair of talented pupils from defending Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots meet champion trainer Mike Stidham’s barn and the top-two finishers from the inaugural running one year ago.
Robert S. Evans’ Rapid Rhythm, recently privately purchased from DARRS, Inc. and kept in the care of Stidham, will attempt to extend her perfect 3-for-3 Fair Grounds record when the daughter of Successful Appeal breaks from post three under 2014-15 meet champion jockey James Graham. A winner of five of nine attempts at the trip, she exits a victory in the restricted Oakley Stakes at Laurel Park on Sept. 24 and has won four of seven in 2016.
Gainesway Stable’s well-bred Tapit filly Full Tap will give Stidham a formidable one-two punch when the bay filly breaks from the outside post 10 under Mitchell Murrill. A solid fourth last out in the Grade III Buffalo Trace Franklin County Stakes at Keeneland on Oct. 14, she was an impressive winner of two consecutive turf sprint allowances this summer at Arlington and Saratoga and appears headed in the right direction after a bullet half-mile work in 47.60 on Sat., Nov. 26.
The one-two finishers from last year’s Battle of New Orleans, Thomas Galvin’s Bret Calhoun-trained Adrianne G (C. J. McMahon, post four) and Don Alberto Stable’s Wesley Ward-trained Tesalina (CHI) (Robby Albarado, post nine) renew their rivalry against an arguably tougher field. While the former has managed a pair of allowance victories from nine starts since, Tesalina (CHI) has held her own in tough turf sprint company from coast-to-coast, including stakes-placings at Gulfstream Park and Santa Anita.
Two worth watching are Three Diamonds Farm’s Touch of Bling (Francisco Torres, post seven), who enters off a romp by five lengths in a first-level allowance going five furlongs on the Churchill Downs turf course, and Love Partnership Interests’ Boom Bam Bing (Colby Hernandez, post one). Mike Maker-trained Touch of Bling steps up to stakes company again after finishing 10th two races back in the aforementioned Franklin County, beaten only 1½ lengths by Full Tap. Boom Bam Bing, from the barn of Karl Broberg, has not raced since finishing a diminishing neck behind Full Tap in the same event, an effort that followed three consecutive turf sprint allowance victories against inferior company.
Trainer Joe Sharp sends out a trio of 4-year-old fillies – Calypso Run (Miguel Mena, post two), Seeking Paradise (Brian Hernandez, Jr., post six) and Neilinger (David Flores, post eight) – with Seeking Paradise appearing to be the strongest of the three. Consistent in turf sprint allowances all season, she was beaten 3½ lengths by 2015 Grade I Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint runner-up Lady Shipman in the $100,000 The Very One Stakes at Pimlico in May and wears blinkers for the first time for her capable connections.
Ronald Clark’s Gerald Brooks-trained Manille (Gabriel Saez, post five), a winner of six of 16 lifetime who was claimed two back for $40,000, completes the field.
Source: Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots