Elsa continues looking for form of old

Trainer Mike Stidham and owner Godolphin won the 2019 Jimmy Durante Stakes last Saturday at Del Mar with Alms, and the same connections will try to take down the featured eighth race Thursday at Fair Grounds with Elsa, who won the 2018 Jimmy Durante.

Elsa starts in a second-level allowance race also open to $40,000 claimers and carded at about 1 1/16 miles on turf, and if she visits the winner’s circle, it will be for the first time since the Durante win a year ago. Elsa drops from stakes races into an allowance, but also moves out of 3-year-old competition to face older horses for the first time. Since a second-place finish making her 3-year-old debut in January she’s been no better than fifth in four starts.

Elsa on Thursday races in blinkers for the first time in an effort to bring forth something more like her 2-year-old form.

“She’s been running flat; that’s why we’re trying something different,” Stidham said.

Fifteen were entered and 12 can start, and trainer Brendan Walsh is two-handed with win contenders in Zofelle and Orageuse. English import Zofelle was a two-length first-level allowance winner making her North American debut Oct. 10 at Keeneland, while Orageuse, a Fair Grounds turf maiden winner last meet, failed to show her best on the Euro-style Kentucky Downs course when last seeing action Sept. 8.