Black Gold chalk Andthewinneris still going strong

Andthewinneris made his career debut in April of his 2-year-old season. He went on to race in July, August, October, November, and December of last year, and on Jan. 28 won the Texas Turf Mile at Sam Houston in his first race at age 3. One might imagine the colt by now would be showing signs of the long period of racing with no break. And one would be incorrect, according to the colt’s trainer.

“That was a concern, wondering if the horse needs a break,” Wayne Catalano said. “I’m very happy with him going forward into this. Really, it’s hard to keep him on the ground. When they’re doing good, you run them.”

In that spirit, Andthewinneris lines up as the likely favorite Saturday at Fair Grounds in the $75,000 Black Gold Stakes, a turf route of about 1 1/16 miles restricted to 3-year-olds. Fifth on Dec. 26 in a dirt experiment that sent the Oscar Performance colt back to turf, Andthewinneris won his second stakes race at Sam Houston, adding that narrow tally over Private Creed to his eye-catching win last fall in the Bourbon at Keeneland.

Andthewinneris didn’t seem to enjoy soft going in his last start, yet prevailed nonetheless.

“I don’t think he cares for a very soft turf course like that. He wasn’t wanting to give up, though,” Catalano said.

Seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, Andthewinneris isn’t the only horse who ran in the race. The Black Gold field also includes Reckoning Force, 13th in the BC Juvenile Turf while beaten only 6 1/2 lengths. Two starts earlier, Reckoning Force won a rich Kentucky Downs stakes race, but it’s Wonderful Justice who looks like the main competition to Andthewinneris on Saturday.

Trained by Brad Cox, Wonderful Justice makes his second career start following a debut victory in a Fair Grounds turf route Feb. 3. The margin of victory was merely a half-length, but Wonderful Justice ran well. Finishing second and third were He’s Got Swagger and Desert Duke, respectively second and first in a Feb. 25 maiden.

Wonderful Justice raced three wide with no cover around the bends, cocked his head to look into the stands while switching back to the wrong lead inside the final furlong, and still won solidly. He’s come back with two works and ought to have room for improvement Saturday.

Desert Duke is the lone Black Gold also-eligible in a field restricted to eight runners with the temporary rail set at 34 feet, as has been the case all meet.

Two La.-bred stakes

Who Took the Money easily is the best older Louisiana-bred turf-route horse in training, a position he figures to further cement in the $75,000 Edward J. Johnston Memorial Stakes.

Who Took the Money the last two seasons easily has won the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Turf and should make short work of seven Louisiana-bred rivals going about one mile on grass. Trained by Bret Calhoun for his breeder, Allied Racing, Who Took the Money will be an odds-on favorite under regular rider Deshawn Parker.

A better price can be found on A G’s Charlotte in the $75,000 Red Camelia, a turf route for Louisiana-bred fillies and mares. A G’s Charlotte ran well enough in three grass races last year to suggest she’s at least close to as good on grass as on dirt, and on dirt she’s already a two-time Louisiana-bred stakes winner this meet.

The Red Camelia is absolutely packed with pace, and A G’s Charlotte could get a great setup under Marcelino Pedroza Jr.

Wholelottamo and Fort Polk are the other two horses likely to come with a late run, and with luck either is capable of a minor upset.