Appalachian up next for Alms

The original plan called for Alms to race Saturday in the Grade 3 Florida Oaks at Tampa. Instead, she worked a half-mile in 48.60 seconds on Friday at Fair Grounds.

The motivation for the change in plans is twofold. Alms, who looks at this moment like one of the top few 3-year-old turf fillies in North America after winning her first four starts, already has two Grade 3 wins, so rather than ship from New Orleans to Tampa to race at that level again, trainer Mike Stidham and owner Godolphin are pointing Alms to the Grade 2 Appalachian Stakes on April 5 at Keeneland.

Stidham and Godolphin were to run a different horse, Micheline, in the Florida Oaks, and passing the race with Alms could leave her a fresher horse when the heart of the grass-racing season comes around over the summer.

“Its going to be a long spring and summer, so we’re spacing her races and focusing on the ones that count more,” said Stidham.

Alms won the Grade 3 Matron over six furlongs at Belmont last fall and the Grade 3 Jimmy Durante over one mile at Del Mar in her 2-year-old finale. She started her 3-year-old season with a 4 1/2-length overnight stakes win Feb. 8 at Fair Grounds.

Stidham also confirmed plans to run Synchrony in the Muniz Memorial Stakes on March 21. Seven-year-old Synchrony won the Muniz in 2018, finished third in the 2019 renewal, and will come into this year’s edition of the nine-furlong turf race off a good second-place finish to Muniz-bound Factor This, who got loose on the lead racing along a golden rail when he beat Synchrony on Feb. 15 in the Fair Grounds Stakes.

Louisiana Derby looking bulky

Fair Grounds racing officials as of Friday had a working list of 20 possible runners for the $1 million Louisiana Derby on March 21. Fair Grounds split the Risen Star Stakes into two divisions when it drew 23 entrants, but there are no plans to split the Louisiana Derby, which will be capped at 14 entrants.

Were the race drawn Friday – draw day is March 14 – the main body of the field, ranked by graded-stakes wins and then earnings, would, according to the racing office, include Modernist, Enforceable, Wells Bayou, Ajaaweed, Ny Traffic, Silver State, Major Fed, Lynn’s Map, Mailman Money, Portos, Social Afleet, Shake Some Action, Chestertown, and Sharecropper. Should all those horses actually be entered, Royal Act, whose connections have targeted the Louisiana Derby, would be the first also eligible. Santa Anita-based Royal Act, a member of Daily Racing Form’s Derby Watch, is trained by Peter Eurton and most recently finished a fine second in his dirt debut, beaten only three-quarters of a length by Thousand Words in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes.

Three battling for riding title

James Graham and Colby Hernandez, hotly pursued by Mitchell Murrill, look like they’ll battle to meet’s end to be leading rider this Fair Grounds season. Entering racing action Thursday, Graham had 55 wins to 54 for Hernandez, with Murrill sitting at 49.

Graham has been leading rider before at Fair Grounds, but this would be a first Fair Grounds title for Hernandez, 31, a Louisiana native who still summers at Evangeline Downs, his home track. Hernandez, whose older brother Brian also rides the Fair Grounds meeting, makes his home in Opelousas, La.

“This is the first time going into the final month being right there with a chance,” said Hernandez, whose agent is Anthony Martin. “I knew going in we had a bunch of good clients, good business, and I’m used to riding with these guys now.”

◗ Dwight Viator, a veteran Louisiana trainer, died late last month at age 67. Viator, a Louisiana native, was born in Bossier City and won 642 races during a training career that spanned four decades.

◗ Grade 1-winning turf horse Arklow will make his next start in the Elkhorn Stakes next month at Keeneland, a race his connections hope to use as a prep for the Man o’ War at Belmont Park.

◗ Following two dark days, racing resumes Wednesday, March 11, at Fair Grounds.