Fair Grounds: Optional claimer the feature on closing day

NEW ORLEANS - The closing-day card Sunday is nondescript, with nary a stakes race. The nominal feature is race 7, an optional-claiming turf sprint at about 5 1/2 furlongs for either first-level allowance runners or $17,500 claimers.

Rightous Party and Western Elegance, second and third in a similar first-level allowance sprint March 8, look like the top contenders, assuming the race stays on turf.

A punishing rainstorm caused Fair Grounds to cancel its Friday card in an attempt to have the main track in optimum shape for racing Saturday, when the Louisiana Derby highlights a card that includes four Grade 2 stakes.

The cancellation was announced about an hour before first post. It rained hard during the late morning, and there was considerable standing water just inside the inner turf course rail. The forecast was for more rain throughout the day, but the storm showers were supposed to end Friday night.

This has not been the most joyous of meets at Fair Grounds, what with purse cuts, a turf course that was unusable for stretches following harsh weather, and increasingly vocal concerns from horsemen. The Louisiana Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association has complained to the Louisiana State Racing Commission about conditions here, a topic that will be addressed at the next commission meeting April 22.

Guidry to retire again

Jockey Mark Guidry, who entered Friday’s card with 5,222 career victories, announced that he will be retiring, this time permanently, after this meet ends and will become a jockeys’ agent. Closing day is Sunday, but Guidry, 54, has no mounts.

This marks the second time Guidry has retired. He announced his retirement in 2007 after he had gone past the 5,000-win mark, then returned full time in 2011.

A native of Louisiana, Guidry had much of his success in Chicago, where he led meets at Arlington, Hawthorne, and Sportsman’s Park. His biggest win was the 2006 Kentucky Oaks aboard Lemons Forever.

Guidry has 11 wins in 83 races this year.

◗ Rosie Napravnik, who entered Friday’s card with a six-win lead over James Graham in quest for her fourth straight riding title here, will go to Kentucky when the meet ends, but this time, she’s bringing her local agent, Derek Ducoing. In the past, when relocating to New York or Kentucky, Napravnik had used agents based there, but now Ducoing will make the move.