Fair Grounds: Stidham eyes allowance victories Friday

Trainer 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.