Amoss has four starters on eve of Louisiana Derby

NEW ORLEANS – Louisiana Derby Eve doesn’t exactly carry the panache of bigger Fridays on the American racing calendar, but fans getting an early start on closing weekend at Fair Grounds won’t be lacking for action.

A 13-race card should get the handicapping juices flowing the afternoon before the huge Louisiana Derby program, with two statebred allowances and a restricted stakes for 3-year-olds among the highlights.

Tom Amoss, who has the morning-line favorite for the $1 million Louisiana Derby on Saturday, won’t have much idle time for nervous stall-walking: He has four scheduled starters Friday, beginning with Outofthisgalaxy in the opener, the $40,000 South Mississippi Owners and Breeders Stakes.

Although Outofthisgalaxy finished 13 lengths back after flashing speed in his only start, he actually fits very well given the parameters of the South Mississippi, which is limited to horses who “comply with the bylaws” of the organization for which the six-furlong race is named.

In fact, all but two of the eight horses in the South Mississippi – Berniestrike and Zipples – are maidens. Berniestrike, a two-time winner, is a deserving morning-line favorite. But Amoss believes Outofthisgalaxy is capable of what would amount to a mild upset.

“We didn’t have him for his first start,” he said, “but he has continually improved since we got him.”

Some three hours later, Amoss will saddle Ramona’s Wildcat as the likely favorite in race 7, the first allowance of the day. Amoss also has Miss Ruby’s Legacy as another of the program choices in the $46,000, second-level sprint, but “she’ll scratch after getting sick” earlier in the week, he said.

Ramona’s Wildcat “had a tough trip last time, and we like our chances at this same level,” said Amoss.

The second allowance, race 12, is one of the better betting races of the day, assuming it holds together at its 10-horse limit. It’s a $42,000, first-level turf race at about 7 1/2 furlongs, with Royal Rush, Sherry’s Salute, Escalady, and Slew City Lou among the top contenders in the main body of an oversubscribed lineup.

First post Friday is 1:25 p.m. Central, with the 13th and last race set for 7:17.

The Friday card is part of a four-day, 54-race week that concludes a 2015-16 Fair Grounds meet that began Nov. 19. The Saturday card has 15 races, and the Sunday finale has 14. First post on each of the last two days is 12:30.