Ahh Chocolate works, eyes Azeri Stakes

Ahh Chocolate ended her 3-year-old campaign on a high note and has trainer Neil Howard enthused about the start of her 4-year-old campaign. The winner of the Grade 2 Falls City at Churchill Downs last November, Ahh Chocolate had her first published workout of the year when she went three furlongs in 37.40 seconds on Friday at Fair Grounds.

“She went beautifully. Knock on wood, she looks great now,” said Howard.

Ahh Chocolate won her sprint debut last February at Fair Grounds, a two-turn Keeneland allowance race second time out, and ran third in the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes in her third start. But despite the strong beginning to her career, Ahh Chocolate still was an immature horse for much of her 3-year-old season. Howard felt all along that she’d improve with age and distance, and Ahh Chocolate proved him right, winning the nine-furlong Falls City with a career-best performance.

Ahh Chocolate got about one month’s rest before rejoining Howard’s string in New Orleans, and she exercised at close to the pace of a timed workout before recording her first official drill Friday. “It shouldn’t take her long to get ready,” Howard said. “She didn’t lose much.”

A Stoneway Farm homebred by Candy Ride, Ahh Chocolate is tentatively being aimed at the Grade 2, $300,000 Azeri Stakes at Oaklawn Park on March 19. A strong showing there could lead to a start in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom on April 15 at Oaklawn.

On Thursday, Howard sent his good older dirt-route horse Eagle out to a six-furlong workout that could have ended disastrously. Eagle had started his work when a horse got loose on the Fair Grounds track. Brian Hernandez Jr., aboard for the drill, considered aborting the work but went on with it, and Eagle completed the breeze without incident, his time of 1:15.80 dragged down by Hernandez applying the brakes.

“He finished up well, and he’s already a fit horse,” said Howard.

Eagle finished second to International Star last month in the Louisiana Stakes, and the two are expected to meet again Feb. 20 in the Mineshaft on the Risen Star card.

Good Lundi Gras card

Tuesday is Mardi Gras in New Orleans, and for the uninitiated, that makes Monday “Lundi Gras.” It also makes for an unusual race week that spans Friday to Tuesday, but Monday’s nine-race card came up looking like a solid weekend program.

There are several allowance races carded, the highest class of them race 8, a third-level turf-route allowance also open to $62,500 claimers. Ride On Curlin might have made his grass debut here, but he came up with a cough, trainer Billy Gowan said Friday, and will be scratched. The favorite is the stakes-dropping Flashlight, who ran well enough in the Col. E.R. Bradley Handicap last month to win Monday. Lu Rae’s Lucky Sky and Chip Leader also merit respect.