Fast maiden winner Bind returns in allowance at Fair Grounds

Bind, who got a Beyer Speed Figure of 105 when scoring a 9 1/2-length victory in his debut going six furlongs on Feb. 19, stretches out to a mile and 70 yards in a first-level allowance Saturday at Fair Grounds.

“We’ve always thought the world of him,” Bind’s trainer, Al Stall Jr., said Wednesday morning. “I’m very happy this race filled. It’s been a tough race to fill all meet, plus it’s closing weekend.”

Stall and Seth Hancock, whose Claiborne Farm bred and is a co-owner of Bind, have no inclination to try and put Bind on an accelerated track to the Kentucky Derby. They are taking the long view.

“This race makes sense for him,” Stall said. “He’s got a good foundation. He’s got a lot of miles on him.”

Exhibit highlights backstretch stories

First-person letters from 17 people working at Fair Grounds are part of an exhibit, including photography, that Fair Grounds is presenting the final three days of the season, beginning Friday, in concert with the Neighborhood Story Project, a local non-profit that facilitates local residents publishing books about their communities. The exhibit will be set up around the paddock.

Abram Himelstein, who has worked as a local correspondent in year’s past for Daily Racing Form and teaches at the University of New Orleans, is a co-founder of the Neighborhood Story Project. He worked on this project with jockeys, trainers, grooms, hotwalkers, veterinarians, and track employees.

◗ “Fillies, Fashion & Fizz,” an upscale party with champagne, desserts, a fashion show, and a Derby hat contest, is part of Saturday’s program here. Admission is $5.