Bobby's Wicked One a welcome winner for Stall

It’s been raining runner-up finishes in the Al Stall barn for the better part of three months. Since Nov. 10, Stall’s 79 starters have compiled a crazy record of 8 wins compared to 23 second-place finishes. Bobby’s Wicked One was having none of that trend Saturday at Fair Grounds. Dropping hard in class from a solid fifth-place finish in the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita into a mere first-level six-furlong allowance race, Bobby’s Wicked One cruised to a seven-length score despite Miguel Mena keeping him under a hammerlock through the stretch run. He ran six furlongs in a snappy 1:09.85 and got a career-best 99 Beyer Speed Figure.

“That was nice,” said Stall. “He’s just a different horse since he’s come back from his summer sojourn.”

Bobby’s Wicked One showed talent a year ago but returned in October from a six-month layoff running much faster than he had before. Stall said he’d consider running him in the Hot Springs Stakes at Oaklawn Park on March 9, but could also wait for the Commonwealth Stakes at Keeneland in April.

Meanwhile, Tom’s d’Etat returned to Stall’s barn at Fair Grounds showing no ill effects from a ninth-place finish Jan. 26 in the Pegasus World Cup. Jockey Shaun Bridgmohan told Stall Tom’s d’Etat disliked the sloppy Gulfstream Park racing surface and was “spinning his wheels.”

“We’ve been happy with him since he got back,” Stall said. “He’s been back to the track and everything. Hopefully that kind of hard race against good horses might kind of tighten him up in the seasoning department.”

If all goes well, Tom’s d’Etat will start next in the New Orleans Handicap on March 23. Earlier this meet he won the Tenacious Stakes in his stakes debut.