Fair Grounds: Stidham eyes allowance victories Friday
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLETrainer Mike Stidham appears to have live runners in the two allowance races carded Friday at Fair Grounds.
Stidham entered two horses in race 8, a first-level, dirt-route allowance for older horses that is open to $17,500 claimers: Rock On This makes his dirt debut and will have to improve to factor, but Stidham’s other horse in the race, Song to You, is a deserving favorite. His career interrupted by a long layoff, Song to You has made all four of his starts at Fair Grounds and has finished third or better in all of them, winning a maiden race Dec. 12 and most recently finishing second by a neck in a race like the one he contests Friday.
Stidham’s candidate to win race 9, a first-level allowance carded for females at 5 1/2 furlongs on grass, is shakier, but Love Blind has a longshot’s chance. An Argentine import, Love Blind floundered in mud in her North American debut Dec. 28, and she had every right to fade late after setting some of the fastest two-turn dirt splits of the meet in her most recent start Jan. 23.
On fast dirt or on grass, Love Blind merits one more look, while recent Fair Grounds turf-sprint maiden winner Enchanted River appears to have a decent shot at a repeat victory.

