Excessivespending, Contributing return for Mardi Gras

If Mardi Gras came around as often as filly-and-mare turf-sprint stakes at Fair Grounds, it would start to seem like just another day.

As for the filly-and-mare turf-sprint division in New Orleans, it gets its fourth and final go-round this meet with the $75,000 Mardi Gras Stakes, the featured eighth race on Fair Grounds’ annual Fat Tuesday racing program.

The previous divisional stakes this season have produced a revolving door of successful performances, with eight different horses filling the win-place-show slots in three stakes. The winners of the last two races – Excessivespending, who captured the Nelson Menard, and Contributing, who landed the Pan Zareta – are among the 10 entrants in the Mardi Gras, which is carded for about 5 1/2 furlongs on turf.

Tuesday is expected to bring clear skies and unseasonably cool temperatures to New Orleans, but days of rain through Sunday evening could yet render the grass course unusable for the Tuesday card.

Contributing, making her first start for trainer Brad Cox, rebounded from a flat run in the Richie Scherer Memorial to get up in the Pan Zareta, though her second-place stablemate, Goldberry, ran the best race that day. In fourth came Excessivespending, who has been described by trainer Chris Hartman as a difficult horse to ride, and who jockey Mitchell Murrill, aboard for the first time, moved too early in the homestretch. Murrill learned his lesson and got it right in the Menard, timing Excessivespending’s run perfectly to win by a half-length, but Excessivespending obviously has little room for error and had everything go right last time.

New to the divisional fray is Student Body, who will take her place in the gate even if the race remains on turf, trainer Chris Davis said. Davis is looking forward to getting the mare on grass, but the connections of Oxford Comma can’t be thrilled with her presence. Sans Student Body, Oxford Comma, the Menard runner-up, would be the lone speed Tuesday, but as it stands she’ll have to contend with Student Body on the front end.

That could leave La Dame Blanche with a perfect trip sitting just behind the dueling speed, and at anything close to her 8-1 morning-line odds La Dame Blanche merits a bet. Just a 4-year-old, La Dame Blanche has made only four turf-sprint starts, winning twice and most recently finishing third, beaten less than a length, in the Menard. She might not have loved a yielding course when fifth in the Pan Zareta and appears to have all the upside going into this start.

Two more to consider, at least as decent-priced exotics boosters, are She’s All Skeet and Miss Southern Miss.

Tenfold makes 4-year-old debut

Tenfold, beaten less than a length in the 2018 Preakness Stakes and later last summer the winner of the Jim Dandy, is set for his first start since finishing seventh in the Travers Stakes on Aug. 25. Tenfold is one of six entrants in race 5, an allowance race carded at 1 1/16 miles on dirt.

Tenfold would have returned to the races sooner but fought an illness in late December and early January, trainer Steve Asmussen said. Tenfold has logged six Fair Grounds works since late January, and with this race serving as a mere jumping-off point to future stakes starts bettors might look for an alternative, with Exclamation Point the pick for a mild upset.