Bravazo, Snapper Sinclair eye rematch in Louisiana Derby

NEW ORLEANS – Bravazo and Snapper Sinclair, longshots both, were separated by a short nose Saturday in the Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds, and they probably will meet again here March 24 in the $1 million Louisiana Derby.

Also likely for the Louisiana Derby is Risen Star third-place finisher Noble Indy, but plans are fluid for Instilled Regard, who was fourth as the 7-5 favorite.

Bravazo, who won his first stakes race, got a career-best 93 Beyer Speed Figure for running 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:42.95. Bravazo, a Calumet Farm homebred by Awesome Again who is trained by D. Wayne Lukas, showed promise at age 2 but appears to have come considerably forward in two starts this year. He won a fast first-level allowance race at Oaklawn Park in his 2018 debut.

Bravazo was traveling by van Sunday from New Orleans back to Lukas’s base at Oaklawn.

“We’ll keep him up here,” Lukas said. “We’ll pretty much plan on going back for the Louisiana Derby.”

Lukas was to run another 3-year-old prospect, Grade 1 Hopeful winner Sporting Chance, in the Southwest Stakes on Monday at Oaklawn.

Snapper Sinclair made the lead into the first turn of the Risen Star and did everything but win, coming out on the short end of a tight photo finish following his third in the Jan. 13 Lecomte Stakes, his first start at age 3.

“Proud of the horse, disappointed in the head bob,” trainer Steve Asmussen said Sunday. “We’re going to train him for the Louisiana Derby. He’s incredibly game.”

A second Asmussen horse, Principe Guilherme, turned in a disappointing performance in finishing seventh, beaten about 9 1/2 lengths, after coming home second in front of Snapper Sinclair in the Lecomte. Asmussen said there were no plans as of Sunday for Principe Guilherme, a sharp winner in two starts before the Lecomte. “We’re going to reevaluate,” he said.

Snapper Sinclair and Bravazo raced first and second for much of the Risen Star, while the third- and fourth-place horses also occupied their finishing positions for most of the trip, leading some to suggest the Fair Grounds main track was speed-biased Saturday. However, front-runners won only three of seven dirt races on the card, and a relatively slow half-mile split of 47.96 seconds, 1.14 seconds slower than the pace two races earlier in the Rachel Alexandra, probably played a major role in what turned into a parade.

Noble Indy, making his stakes debut following a pair of wins to start his career, ran encouragingly in defeat, racing behind horses and in some traffic after getting clean, front-running trips his first two starts.

“He got a good education and took some dirt,” trainer Todd Pletcher said Sunday from Florida. “Johnny [Velazquez] said he was a little reluctant to come up through there. We were very pleased with the way he galloped out. I’d say there’s a very strong chance he could be back for the Louisiana Derby.”

Noble Indy returns to Florida on Tuesday, while Instilled Regard, whom trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said had come out of his race in good shape, flies back to California on Monday. Instilled Regard got an ideal outside stalking trip Saturday, but jockey Javier Castellano said the colt didn’t kick home like he expected. Even so, Instilled Regard got a 91 Beyer, just one point lower than his Lecomte figure, and didn’t lose by much.

“He got beat 2 1/4 lengths, so it’s not the end of the world,” Hollendorfer said. “We haven’t decided what we’re doing yet with him.”

Fifth-place High North had a good inside spot around the far turn but came up a little empty in his 2018 debut. Trainer Brad Cox said he was likely to next race at Oaklawn Park in either the Rebel Stakes or a first-level allowance race.

Supreme Aura finished last in his two-turn debut and will return to sprinting, probably in a Keeneland allowance race, trainer Mike Stidham said.

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Options for Monomoy Girl

Monomoy Girl missed the break and had to race from last, a complete stylistic change from her best 2017 races, then ducked out sharply from a left-handed crop during the stretch run of the Grade 2, $200,000 Rachel Alexandra Stakes. That she still was able to win by 2 1/2 lengths over Classy Act while making her first start since Nov. 26 speaks to her elite talent.

“We found out yesterday it doesn’t matter how she runs,” said Cox, who trains Monomoy Girl for a partnership. “It’s not how we drew it up or expected it, but you feel even more confident with her because she can overcome things. She’s a racehorse, no doubt about it.”

Monomoy Girl, Cox said, cooled out well Saturday and made a fine impression jogging on the road in front of his Fair Grounds barn Sunday morning. But whether she races next here in the March 24 Fair Grounds Oaks or awaits the Ashland Stakes two weeks later at Keeneland is a decision that hasn’t yet been made. The Ashland holds appeal as a Grade 1, while the Fair Grounds Oaks is a Grade 2.

“It’s probably 50-50 between those two races,” Cox said.

Monomoy Girl had issues coming out of the gate before her debut last summer, and she has regularly shied from the crop.

“I don’t know what we’ll do about that, but it’s something we’ll have to be aware of,” said Cox.

Cox also said Mr. Misunderstood, a fine second behind Synchrony in the Fair Grounds Handicap, was probable for the Mervin Muniz Memorial Handicap here March 24, though he wonders if his horse might prefer distances a little shorter than the nine furlongs of that race.

The Player pointed to New Orleans Handicap

The Player ran well enough last year to win the Grade 2 Fayette in October at Keeneland, but the 5-year-old horse might have found another level with the addition of blinkers for the Mineshaft Handicap on Saturday. The Player went straight to the front under Calvin Borel and never looked back, scoring a 4 1/4-length victory, running 1 1/16 miles in a fast 1:42.29, and earning a career-best 100 Beyer.

“He also galloped out really strong yesterday,” trainer and co-owner Buff Bradley said Sunday. “Calvin was really happy with him.”

Bradley said The Player on Sunday morning was doing what he usually does in his stall – laying down and taking it easy. The horse appears to have exited the race in good order and, all being well, will make his next start March 24 in the New Orleans Handicap.

Rising star Synchrony likely for Muniz

No horse Saturday was more impressive than Synchrony, who beat the talented Mr. Misunderstood by two lengths in the Fair Grounds Handicap while racing for the first time since May 27.

Synchrony, who got a career-best 100 Beyer, had trained like a bear into the Fair Grounds Handicap and came out of it still looking good, according to trainer Stidham, and will point to the Mervin Muniz Memorial.

“As long as he stays the way he is, there’s no reason he can’t do that again,” Stidham said.