Fair Grounds: Star Guitar gets shot at earnings record in Costa Rising

Star Guitar will make his next start on April 1 in the Costa Rising Stakes at Fair Grounds after additional funds were secured to boost the Costa Rising purse from $60,000 to $90,000, giving Star Guitar a chance to become the richest Louisiana-bred if he can win the race.

Seven-year-old Star Guitar has earned $1,635,862 during his career, $52,976 less than the career total for Happy Ticket, the all-time purse-money leader among Louisiana-breds. The winner’s share of the $60,000 Costa Rising would have left Star Guitar short of her mark, but an additional $30,000 has been offered by Louisiana owner Bobby Asaro and the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association. Southern Oaks Plantation, Asaro’s racing enterprise, will be listed as a sponsor of the Costa Rising this year.

◗ Fair Grounds will run a marathon 18-race program on Friday, March 30, the track announced after Thursday’s race card was cancelled because of bad weather. Eight of the races lost because of the Thursday cancellation will be tacked onto the previously scheduled 10 on March 31. The other two cancelled races will be run on one of the other three closing-week programs at the track.