Fair Grounds: Deceptive Vision switches surfaces for comeback

NEW ORLEANS – Deceptive Vision appeared on her way to stakes company when a suspensory injury sidelined her about a year ago. The filly is set to return to competition Sunday in a second-level optional $40,000 claiming race that serves as the feature at Fair Grounds. The $48,000 race, scheduled to be run at about 1 1/16 miles on turf, drew nine older fillies and mares, plus two main-track-only entrants.

Trainer Malcolm Pierce said Deceptive Vision, a 4-year-old daughter of A.P. Indy and the Smart Strike mare Eye of the Sphynx, would stay in the race if the surface is switched to dirt but won’t run if the track is sloppy.

Deceptive Vision was injured while winning a first-level optional $50,000 claiming race on a muddy track at Fair Grounds last February The victory was her second in three starts.

“It’s just taken long to get her back to the races,” Pierce said. “I think she’s a pretty talented filly. I don’t want to run her on a sloppy track.”
A Sam-Son Farms homebred, Deceptive Vision is a full sister to 2009 Queen’s Plate winner Eye of the Leopard and 2010 Queen’s Plate runner-up Hotep. She will be making her turf debut.

“I think she’ll handle it,” Pierce said. “She’s just a good horse. We were really cautious with her. We had high hopes for this filly. I thought she was our [Woodbine] Oaks filly.”

Liz Pendens, a Mike Stidham trainee who finished fifth in a division of the Hatoof in August at Arlington Park, has won two turf races. She finished third in a mile race in July at Arlington at this level. In her last start, she finished second at this level in a race switched from turf to dirt Jan. 16 at Fair Grounds.

Femme Fatale, trained by Paul McGee, is another two-time winner on turf. She finished third in the Ta Wee on turf at Indiana Downs in October. In her last two starts, both at this level at Fair Grounds, she didn’t threaten in races switched to dirt.

Gator Zone, trained by Steve Margolis, won the LaCombe Memorial last season on the Fair Grounds course. Starship Duchess, trained by Louie Roussel III, has won four turf races. She hasn’t raced since routing first-level allowance rivals on turf Nov. 24 at Fair Grounds.

The feature is the eighth race on a nine-race card starting at 1 p.m. Central.