Fair Grounds: Albano, Divine Beauty work ahead of weekend stakes

NEW ORLEANS – Larry Jones does not believe in the separation of the sexes – not when it comes to working young horses.

On a sloppy Monday morning in New Orleans, Jones sent out the colt Albano and the filly Divine Beauty, his respective contenders for the Lecomte and Silverbulletday stakes here Saturday, for an in-company five-furlong workout. The pair was given the same time by Fair Grounds clockers, 1:00.60, the second-fastest among 34 works at the distance.

Divine Beauty has started twice and won twice, capturing a maiden race at Churchill in September by a head and the Letellier Stakes on Dec. 21 at Fair Grounds by more than six lengths.

Albano finished third last fall in his debut at Churchill before winning a maiden race and the Sugar Bowl Stakes during the Fair Grounds meet. Former Kentucky Gov. Brereton Jones owns both horses. Larry Jones swept the Lecomte and Silverbulletday in 2009 with Friesan Fire and Just Jenda.

“I put them together because we needed a good work, and I wanted to get it right, and that’s how they did it,” Jones said Tuesday. “The filly, she’s a better work horse by herself. Albano, he doesn’t do a lot in the morning unless you give him something to run with.”

The Grade 3 Lecomte and the listed Silverbulletday are among five stakes races on the Saturday card, for which entries were to be taken Wednesday. The likely runners for the Lecomte include Albano, Gold Hawk, Got Shades, Plug Catcher, Roman Unbridled, Silent Ruler, Smarty’s Echo, and Vicar’s in Trouble.

Got Shades, who had been working at Retama Park for trainer Danny Pish, had his first Fair Grounds breeze Tuesday, going a half-mile in a quick 47.80 seconds. Silent Ruler, disqualified from a maiden route win earlier in the meet and subsequently third in a maiden race, went five furlongs Tuesday in 1:02.20 for trainer Keith Desormeaux, who upset the 2013 Risen Star with I’ve Struck a Nerve.

Vicar’s in Trouble, who got a 98 Beyer Speed Figure in winning his second start, a Louisiana-bred maiden sprint, by 13 lengths, worked five furlongs in 1:00.80 on Sunday.

On Monday, Gold Hawk – who could wind up the Lecomte favorite, went a half-mile in the slop in 49.80. Ricardo Santana rode Gold Hawk to victory in the colt’s first two starts, but trainer Steve Asmussen said Tuesday that Shaun Bridgmohan has the mount Saturday.

The Silverbulletday drew only 13 nominations and is likely to have a short field, with Divine Beauty and Unbridled Forever sure to be far shorter prices than whichever other horses show up. The Dallas Stewart-trained Unbridled Forever won a Nov. 30 maiden race at Churchill by more than six lengths, earning a 96 Beyer and the respect of Larry Jones.

“It might be a short field, but with the two of us in there, it’s going to be a good race,” Jones said.

Ria Antonia arrives

Ria Antonia, who was awarded the victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies via the disqualification of She’s a Tiger, arrived at Fair Grounds on Friday after a van trip from New York. She jogged under assistant trainer Elizabeth Dobles on Sunday and Monday and was set to commence daily gallops Wednesday, Dobles said.

“So far, everything looks good,” said Dobles, who is overseeing three Fair Grounds-based horses for trainer Jeremiah Englehart. “We let her settle in, made sure she didn’t get a temperature or anything.”

Seen in her stall Tuesday, Ria Antonia looked the picture of good health. Dobles said if all goes well, Ria Antonia will have her first Fair Grounds work next week. She remains on target for the Feb. 21 Risen Star Stakes against males, her connections hoping to accumulate qualifying points for a run in the Kentucky Derby.

Unknown Road eyes allowance

Unknown Road ran as well as any young horse at the Fair Grounds meet when he won a maiden sprint Dec. 19 by almost 12 lengths, earning a 98 Beyer in his second career start. But trainer Al Stall is in no hurry to move Unknown Road into stakes competition, and he intends to run the Bernardini colt in a first-level allowance race here Jan. 24.

“In a perfect world, if he ran well in the one-other-than, you’ve got 28 days until the Risen Star,” Stall said.

Unknown Road, who finished second to the talented Coup de Grace in his career debut Nov. 9 at Aqueduct, has worked only once since his maiden win, going five furlongs Jan. 6. Stall said Unknown Road had a similarly light workout pattern before his strong performance last month, and that the horse would breeze a half-mile Friday or Saturday.

“I’m just going by what worked in his first race,” Stall said.

Meanwhile, Departing, who won five races and $1.3 million last year at age 3, has rejoined Stall’s stable at Fair Grounds. Departing made his final start of 2013 in the Sept. 29 Oklahoma Derby, finishing fourth at odds of 3-10, but he ran far better in capturing the Illinois, West Virginia, and Super derbies earlier in the year.

Departing has been galloping at a training center and could have his first workout around Feb. 1, Stall said.

“His mind seems to be exactly where it was when he was in midseason form,” he said.