Brassy Boy exits key race

Brassy Boy will be one of the final stakes starters for trainer Hal Wiggins when he runs Saturday in the $50,000 Razorback Futurity at Louisiana Downs. Wiggins plans to retire in November after a 32-year training career that was highlighted by Rachel Alexandra's romping win in this year's Kentucky Oaks.

But until he retires, it will be full steam ahead for Wiggins. Brassy Boy is one of several promising young horses he has in the barn and he should start as a strong favorite in the Razorback. A six-furlong stakes for Arkansas-breds, the race is one of four restricted stakes for

2-year-olds on the penultimate card of the meet. Other races to be decided include two $100,000 divisions of the Louisiana Stallion Stakes.

Brassy Boy invades from Churchill, where in his last start he was third to Backtalk in the Grade 3 Bashford Manor on July 3. Prior to that race, he closed fast for a win over future Grade 3 winner Western Smoke in a five-furlong allowance at Churchill on June 11.

"We gave him a little time off and he's come back on the muscle," said Wiggins.

"He's a pretty decent colt. The allowance, it was a tough, tough race and he just came up and ran a bang-up race. Then he came back several weeks later and ran a really nice race in the Bashford Manor, a solid race. And of course, that's a graded stakes, so we were just tickled with him."

The Bashford Manor has become a key race in the time Brassy Boy has been away. Its winner, Backtalk, returned in his next start to take the Grade 2 Sanford at Saratoga. In addition, Grand Slam Andre, who was fourth, and Vito Filitto, who was seventh, both won stakes in their next outs.

Brassy Boy got into Louisiana Downs early Thursday morning, said Wiggins. Don Simington, the leading rider at the meet, has the mount. Brassy Boy races for Millsap Stables. He is a full brother to Brassie Prince, who won the Razorback in 2005.

The field also includes Comedero, who was a 12-length debut winner at Louisiana Downs on Sept. 11. Francisco Torres has the mount for trainer Morris Nicks.

The $50,000 Lady Razorback, which is for 2-year-old fillies bred in Arkansas, is led by Arctic Winter. She was a 14-length maiden winner at Lone Star Park in July, earning a Beyer Figure of 72. With a repeat of that effort she might be tough to contain for Tigertail Ranch and trainer Danny Pish.

* Happyfromthegitgo will return to restricted stakes company for the $100,000 fillies division of the Stallion Stakes at seven furlongs. She defeated open company in the $75,000 Opelousas at Evangeline Downs in her last start Sept. 5. Gerard Melancon has the mount for trainer Steve Asmussen.

* Red Rally, a half-brother to multiple Grade 1 winner Premium Tap, cuts back to one turn for the colts and geldings division of the Stallion Stakes. The last time he sprinted he won a first-level allowance at Saratoga. Torres has the mount for trainer Merrill Scherer.