Allowance, Magic City Classic for Alabama-breds spice up Friday card

Whether by happenstance or design, the first two races Friday at Fair Grounds also happen to be the richest. The first daily double starts with the lone allowance on a nine-race card and ends a half-hour later with a fairly attractive renewal of the Magic City Classic for Alabama-breds.

The $42,000 opener at the New Orleans track is scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on turf and matches up a decent group of Louisiana-breds under a second-level allowance restriction.

Hero’s Highway, never worse than third in five career starts for owner-trainer Louie Roussel, could rule a slight favorite in a field of nine that includes one main-track-only designee, Ganges. Mitchell Murrill picks up the mount on Hero’s Highway, a winner last out over the Arlington Park turf in September.

Trust Factor, a gray colt with victories in each of his last two starts, looms the main threat, along with Specialeyes and Well’s Gold.

The $51,000 Magic City Classic represents quite a melting pot, as the 10 Alabama-breds made their respective last starts at nine different racetracks. Three of them figure to vie for favoritism in the one-mile dirt race: Buggin Out, exiting a sixth-place finish at Delta Downs; Uncle Drossel, back in the care of veteran trainer Keith Bourgeois following a summer-fall campaign at Thistledown; and Ira, whose so-so East Coast form might actually match up well in this rare opportunity against statebreds.

An afternoon program (first post, 1:25 Central) is slated on the eve of Louisiana Champions Day, with the long-range Friday forecast calling for sunny skies and a high of just 49. The first Friday for “Starlight Racing” during the four-month-plus Fair Grounds meet won’t be until Jan. 22.

Perhaps the most attractive race later on this Friday card is race 7, a turf sprint for maiden special weight fillies. Dona Elba, turning back from Keeneland turf routes, could take some beating when breaking from the rail post for trainer Al Stall Jr., who entered this week’s action with a gaudy 7-for-14 record to open the meet.