Eagle pointing to Lecomte Stakes

Eagle, who finished a close, closing third in the Nov. 29 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill, had his first work since shipping to New Orleans when he went an easy half-mile last Friday. Trainer Neil Howard said he is pointing Eagle to the Grade 3, $200,000 Lecomte Stakes here at Fair Grounds on Jan. 17.

“He’s been on a little bit of a busman’s holiday, because once we get rolling in January there won’t be much time for rest,” Howard said. “Right now we’re pointing for the Lecomte. That should give us some direction about how to proceed.”

Eagle, by Candy Ride out of the Mineshaft mare Sea Gull, was bred and is owned by Will Farish. He won his five-furlong career debut in July at Ellis Park and finished second in a Churchill allowance race this fall before winning an allowance race there. He then rallied solidly for third, beaten less than one length by victorious El Kabeir, in the Kentucky Jockey Club.

“He goes great, and he’s a beautiful colt who’s really matured over the last six to eight weeks,” said Howard. “I thought in his last race he did everything you’d like to see him do, and galloped out beautifully. Even though he’s not a real big colt, he seems to have a lot of stamina.”

Turf course could get wet

The grass course, plagued by apparently poor drainage in recent seasons, was faster-playing last weekend than many veteran horsemen have ever seen.

With no rain at the track for about three weeks, a course record was set at 1 1/16 miles on Saturday, and another one at 5 1/2 furlongs Sunday.

So firm and fast was the turf – which has a reputation for producing slow times – that the track maintenance crew turned on the sprinklers last week, something rarely seen in a city that gets vast amounts of rain.

Given the trouble the course has experienced during rainy spells in recent years, no one is complaining right now about a firm course.

“To this point, it’s been very genuine and played fair,” said trainer Tom Amoss. ”That wasn’t always the case last year.”

Mike Stidham, whose 14 turf starters at the meet are the most of any trainer, said the course is quicker than he has ever seen, but in good shape. “I’ve been running on it, and I think it’s a safe course,” he said.

No one really knows yet how off-season improvements to the course’s drainage system will work. That test may come Friday, with significant rainfall forecast for the city.

“The weather has been a big factor,” Stidham said. “Last year at this time it was nothing but rain and cold, and this year it’s been warm and dry. I don’t think the new drainage has been properly tested yet.”