Fair Grounds: Little Polka Dot out to turn tables

It’s always more fun when you win, and that’s why Tom Amoss didn’t have a particularly good time Monday night in the Superdome in New Orleans. Amoss was on hand to watch the football team representing his alma mater, Louisiana State University, take a 21-0 drubbing from Alabama in the BCS national championship game.

“No fun,” Amoss said the next morning. “Not at all.”

Tuesday broke a new day, so Amoss was doing his best to see the sporting glass as half-full. He is hoping that one of his stable stars, Little Polka Dot, can do what Alabama did to LSU, and that is to avenge an earlier defeat to one of her rivals. Little Polka Dot, with Jimmy Graham back to ride, will be rematched against her fellow Louisiana-bred and recent conqueror, Speedacious, when the two start as obvious favorites in the Thursday feature at Fair Grounds, a $48,000 no-conditions allowance at 5 1/2 furlongs.

In their last meeting on the Dec. 10 Louisiana Champions Day program, Speedacious rolled past favored Little Polka Dot, prevailing by nearly two lengths as the 2-1 second choice in the six-furlong Ladies Sprint.

“They’re both quality mares,” said Amoss, a Fair Grounds Hall of Fame member since 1998. “We’re turning back a little from the six furlongs, and I’m hoping that will work in our favor. She got the best of us last time, so we’ll see what happens Thursday.”

Speedacious, with Miguel Mena back to ride, will break from post 3 in the featured eighth of 10 Thursday races. Trained by Bret Calhoun for Carl Moore Management, Speedacious was coming off a sharp allowance prep at Churchill Downs when she posted her seventh victory from 17 career starts on Champions Day.

Little Polka Dot, owned by Maggi Moss, will start just outside her rival from post 5. A 6-year-old mare, Little Polka Dot has 19 career starts and also has won 7 times, most notably the four-race win streak she compiled in 2011.

Five other fillies and mares will oppose Speedacious and Little Polka Dot, with perhaps Judy’s Light, a recent winner for a $25,000 claiming price, having the best upset chance.

First post Thursday is 12:40 p.m. Central, with the feature set for 4:15. The highlight of the coming weekend at Fair Grounds is the $75,000 Marie Krantz Memorial on Saturday.