Fair Grounds horses to watch: Week of Jan. 25

GREEK TRICK
Trainer: Pavel Vashchenko
Last race: Jan. 16, 3rd
Finish: 4th by 8
Beyer: 52
First-timer debuting in a route lost his race at the start, breaking a few lengths behind the field and failing to make up any ground into the first turn. This is correctable, and he finished as well as anyone in the race, rallying late for fourth with a very decent gallop-out.

GRAYNOLA
Trainer: Ron Faucheux
Last race: Jan. 18, 2nd
Finish: 2nd by nose
Beyer: 48
First-timer lost action (or something) on backstretch of sprint and dropped back sharply, but despite favored winner getting away with a slow pace, she came back on and nearly won. Should handle this type (La.-bred $25K maidens) next time.

EDEN PRAIRIE
Trainer: Neil Pessin
Last race: Jan. 18, 8th
Finish: 1st by 1
Beyer: 94
Won her second straight and third in last four while moving from 3-year-old filly-restricted stakes into a race for open horses. One of only a couple front-end types to do well during the weekend’s grass races, and she did so despite pressing a solid pace given turf conditions. Still tapping into upside.

MASQUERADE
Trainer: Michael Stidham
Last race: Jan. 18, 8th
Finish: 2nd by 1
Beyer: 92
If you liked Eden Prairie’s Krantz performance (and I did – she’s a horse to watch, too) you had to like this filly’s showing as well, since she was the one setting down the solid tempo that Eden Prairie chased. Stayed on very well to finish two lengths clear of show horse, favored Starstruck, while making her first start since June.