Fair Grounds: Deceptive Vision returns in feature

NEW ORLEANS – Trainer Malcolm Pierce was not kidding when he said plans called to go slowly with the promising A.P. Indy filly Deceptive Vision.

In the second start of her career, on Jan. 4, Deceptive Vision won a two-turn dirt maiden race at Fair Grounds by 3 1/4 lengths. She is just now getting back to racing action as one of 11 3-year-old fillies entered in an interesting first-level, two-turn allowance race serving as the Friday night feature at Fair Grounds.

Deceptive Vision is a Sam-Son Farm Ontario homebred, making her eligible for rich stakes restricted to Ontario-breds such as the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks in June. That’s the race Pierce has circled on his calendar, and he is working back from it, in no big hurry to make any of the major dirt races this winter at Fair Grounds.

“We’re really just trying to space her races right now,” Pierce said. “In all likelihood, it’s going to be a busy summer for her.”

In her maiden win, Deceptive Vision comfortably beat a filly named Blue Violet, who returned to win a maiden route race and is among the entrants in Saturday’s Rachel Alexandra Stakes. The win looked sharp, and was all the more impressive considering Deceptive Vision barely was concentrating, according to Pierce and jockey Shaun Bridgmohan.

“Shaun said she was looking around at everything in the stretch that day,” Pierce said. “She’s still green.”

Deceptive Vision has posted four timed workouts since her maiden win. Pierce has seen progress both mentally and physically since her start six weeks ago.

“Shaun has worked her a couple times, and he thinks she’s going the right way,” said Pierce.

There is rain in the New Orleans forecast, and Pierce said he would give serious thought to scratching if the track comes up wet.

Deceptive Vision has been about as impressive as any 3-year-old filly to race this winter in New Orleans, but there are other ways to go Friday. Irish Lute was a close, troubled fourth in the Silverbulletday Stakes, and has run well in all four of her starts. And Propelleroneway merits consideration in her dirt debut. Propelleroneway has run well in a pair of turf races this meet, and is by Malibu Moon, whose offspring, in general, perform at least as well on dirt as on turf.