Fair Grounds: Brainwash now more familiar with new surroundings

NEW ORLEANS – The class level stays the same for Brainwash. So does the distance.

The only change that trainer Bret Calhoun wants for Brainwash in Sunday’s feature is a slightly different outcome from his Fair Grounds debut.

With Brian Hernandez Jr. aboard, Brainwash will break from the outside in a field of seven older horses running a mile and 70 yards in a second-level optional $40,000 claiming race.

On Dec. 1, Brainwash stalked pacesetter Tycoon much of the way and gained the lead in midstretch. But Fire Alarm, on the outside, outfought Brainwash by a neck for the victory.

For this race, Brainwash has had more time to adjust to being at Fair Grounds, Calhoun said.

“I didn’t bring him down here until late, because I wasn’t sure we were going to run him,” Calhoun said. “I can’t really argue with the trip. The horse that beat him ran well. He just got beat.”

A 3-year-old Lemon Drop Kid colt, Brainwash has won 2 of 7 starts. His last victory came Nov. 1 in a rout of first-level allowance foes in a mile race at Churchill Downs. Brainwash, who went into his last race without a workout over the track, breezed a half-mile Dec. 15 in preparation for this race.

A notable rival is the 4-year-old gelding Adulare, whom trainer/co-owner Pat Dupuy claimed for $25,000 in May at Churchill. Adulare finished fourth in third-level optional $80,000 claiming company Nov. 17 at Churchill.

Adulare, who is entered for the $40,000 claiming price, scored his last victory at that price in an 8 3/4-length romp as a main-track-only runner in a two-turn race taken off the turf Nov. 9 at Churchill. He worked a sharp half-mile Monday in 48.60 seconds.

Tycoon, who finished third in the Dec. 1 race, 3 3/4 lengths behind Brainwash, is the likely pacesetter.

Chilled, who was disqualified from a victory at this level in May at Churchill, is back on dirt after showing little in his turf debut Nov. 4 in a solid allowance group at Churchill.

Gennadi Dorochenko will saddle late-running Macho Bull, who will be making his fourth start of the meet. He finished fifth in the Tenacious on Dec. 15. Two starts back, Macho Bull won against $30,000 nonwinners-of-three.

Gospel Lesson, trained by Calhoun, steps up in class and returns to dirt after finishing a close second in starter allowance/optional claiming company on turf Dec. 1. Since Calhoun claimed Gospel Lesson for $16,000 in September at Monmouth Park, the gelding has a victory and two second places.