Fair Grounds notes: Talented juveniles headed to New Orleans

The results from Churchill Downs’s all-2-year-old closing-day card Saturday bode well for Fair Grounds this winter.

Tapiture, the 4 1/4-length winner of the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes, and Vexed, a one-length winner of the Golden Rod Stakes, were shipping from Louisville, Ky., to New Orleans on Tuesday.

Two Saturday maiden winners for trainer Dallas Stewart, the filly Unbridled Forever (she of the 96 Beyer Speed Figure) and the colt Commanding Curve, both arrived at Fair Grounds on Monday.

Future options for Tapiture are varied. The Jan. 18 Lecomte and the Feb. 22 Risen Star, both at Fair Grounds, will be considered, as will the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn, said Steve Asmussen, who trains Tapiture, a Tapit colt, for owner and breeder Ron Winchell. The Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club was Tapiture’s fourth start but his first win, so Tapiture remains eligible for a first-level allowance race.

Tapiture ran well at Saratoga in his career debut, finishing second to subsequent Grade 1 winner Strong Mandate. Tapiture was third in the Grade 3 Iroquois in his second start and third in an Oct. 27 Churchill maiden race, a prep for the Kentucky Jockey Club.

“I liked the consistency of it this time,” Asmussen said. “In the Iroquois, he looked good in the middle, but when he was pressed, he kind of lost his action, his head came up, and he didn’t finish well. This time, he traveled really smooth in the middle, and he looked smooth when he was asked to go on.”

Asmussen said Tapiture would “skip at least a work or two” before starting to point seriously for his 3-year-old campaign. “I don’t think it would be beneficial to do nothing with him, though,” he said. “He’s a very physical horse. He is a faster horse than he was on Labor Day, and if he keeps improving, he can be a serious horse.”

Vexed also has improved since Labor Day, giving her connections hope for 2014.

Third at Arlington in her career debut, Vexed ran three times at Churchill this fall, winning a maiden race and finishing second in a minor stakes before the Golden Rod, her first try around two turns. Vexed is a half-sister to Sign, who won the 2012 Golden Rod for trainer Al Stall Jr., Claiborne Farm, and Adele Dischneider – the connections of Vexed.

By Arch and out of a mare by Mighty, who won the Louisiana Derby, Vexed probably has found her calling in route races and still should have room to improve.

“I don’t think she’s developed fast at all,” Stall said. “I’ve seen steady improvement with her. I think she’s bred to be a better 3-year-old than 2-year-old. She’s not wide open yet. She’s still just trying to get it.”

Stall said he hadn’t yet discussed specific plans for Vexed with Seth Hancock of Claiborne, but the Fair Grounds Oaks on March 29 is a logical long-term goal. Vexed, Stall said, will have a mild December – “lots of walking, jogging, freshening, and regrouping” – which would make her doubtful for the Jan. 18 Rachel Alexandra, but if all goes well, Vexed could be ready for the Silverbulletday Stakes on Feb. 22.

Sophomores to stay in training

The winners of 3-year-old turf-route stakes last week, Eden Prairie and Marchman, will stay in serious training and be pointed for turf stakes against older horses early next year. Both horses were stretching out from sprints last week, and both won after setting a slow pace.

Eden Prairie won the Pago Hop Stakes on Friday by more than four lengths and will be aimed either at the Jan. 4 Pan Zareta Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf or the Jan. 18 Marie Krantz, a 1 1/16-mile grass race, according to trainer Neil Pessin. Marchman, a 2 3/4-length winner of the Woodchopper, will be pointed to the Jan. 18 Col. E.R. Bradley at 1 1/16 miles, trainer Bret Calhoun said.

The Pessin-trained 5-2 favorite in the Woodchopper, General Election, finished last of nine in the race, and Pessin, finding nothing immediately amiss with the colt, theorized that General Election disliked a yielding turf course.

Nates Mineshaft retired

Nates Mineshaft, who set a Fair Grounds track record for 1 1/8 miles on dirt when he won the 2012 New Orleans Handicap by more than seven lengths, has been retired, trainer Anne Smith said.

A 6-year-old, Nates Mineshaft battled injuries throughout his career, during which he won eight races from 28 starts and earned $685,679. Turned over to trainer Austin Smith late in 2011, Nates Mineshaft came out of nowhere to reign as one of the top horses in the country between February and June 2012, but he didn’t race for more than a year after finishing third in the 2012 Stephen Foster and never came close to his peak in seven 2013 starts, the last of which was an eighth-place finish at Delta Downs on Nov. 23.

No stud plans have been set for Nates Mineshaft, a ridgling by Mineshaft.