Ahh Chocolate launches season on familiar ground in Esplanade

Ahh Chocolate began her successful 2015 campaign with a win in New Orleans, and her connections hope to launch an even better 2016 season in the $50,000 Esplanade Stakes on Friday at Fair Grounds.

The 4-year-old Ahh Chocolate is among eight fillies and mares entered to race one mile and 70 yards on dirt in the Esplanade, an overnight stakes that goes as race 8 of 10 on Friday. She figures to go favored for owner-breeder Stoneway Farm, trainer Neil Howard, and jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. over the Florida shipper Savings Account.

Ahh Chocolate rallied furiously to win her career debut, a sprint, in February 2015 at Fair Grounds. She finished third in the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes last May, didn’t race for two months, then progressed fairly steadily through the summer and fall, capping her campaign with a win over older rivals in the Grade 2 Falls City on Nov. 26 at Churchill Downs.

Ahh Chocolate had been considered for the Azeri Stakes at Oaklawn, but Howard is keen to start her season without having to ship.

“We were hoping to get her started here, where she’s been training, and try to avoid shipping if we didn’t have to first start off a layoff,” Howard said. “We’re in a comfort zone on this surface. She’s always been a real, real forward type filly to train, real easy to train. She’s come back beautiful, and she hasn’t missed a beat in her training.”

Ahh Chocolate drew the rail and figures to stick close to the leaders as a fresh horse coming back from a break. She might prefer a slightly longer distance and probably won’t offer much wagering value but seems to be the most likely winner.

Savings Account, trained by Tom Proctor, is Grade 1-placed but still is in search of her first stakes victory and could be found slightly wanting for stamina while going a mile and 70 yards with a long homestretch.