Great Wide Open wants soft turf for Col. E.R. Bradley
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
NEW ORLEANS – Great Wide Open has learned to control his in-race aggressiveness and, because of it, has turned into a turf tiger.
But he can’t control the weather.
A moderate amount of rain would provide Great Wide Open with the sort of grass course he most desires, but too much would rain the $125,000 Col. E.R. Bradley Handicap onto dirt, which is not at all what Great Wide Open wants.
Light rain fell Thursday in New Orleans. More was forecast for Friday night, and the National Weather Service called for a 90 percent chance of precipitation throughout Saturday.
Great Wide Open is one of nine entrants in the Bradley, carded for about 1 1/16 miles on turf. Silver Dust was entered here and in the Louisiana Stakes and figures to run only in the event of a rain-off. Pioneer Spirit, another Bradley entrant, hasn’t raced on turf since November 2017, but trainer Brad Cox said he starts even if the race stays on grass. Cox’s other entrant, Big Changes, will be scratched to run instead at Gulfstream Park.
Pioneer Spirit is a confirmed front-runner and will force a change in tactics from Great Wide Open, an open-lengths winner of an allowance race and another stakes already this meet while leading in both races. Before coming to Fair Grounds, Great Wide Open finished second to Next Shares in the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile. Next Shares flopped in the Breeders’ Cup Mile, but won the Grade 2 San Gabriel Stakes on Jan. 5 at Santa Anita.
Jockey James Graham has helped dredge the best from the 7-year-old Great Wide Open, an Irish import, and his two wins this meet have come on firm turf, whis is less than ideal for him.
“He’s a much better horse with a bit of soft ground,” said trainer Conor Murphy.
If Great Wide Open will settle off Pioneer Spirit, he’ll be very difficult to handle Saturday. First Premio, who makes his first start since June 30, probably has the best chance to take down the favorite. On dirt, the race should come down to Pioneer Spirit and Silver Dust.
Louisiana Stakes
The 7-year-old Honorable Duty will try to keep his perfect Fair Grounds record intact in the $75,000 Louisiana Stakes.
During the 2016-17 racing season here, Honorable Duty won the Tenacious Stakes, the Grade 3 Mineshaft, and the Grade 2 New Orleans Handicap, but his much more recent form is less encouraging. In the Grade 2 Marathon Stakes at Churchill Downs, Honorable Duty was pulled up and vanned off the course.
Trainer Brendan Walsh, however, said nothing was amiss with Honorable Duty back at the barn. Failing to stay the Marathon’s 1 3/4 miles, Honorably Duty apparently was tiring badly and gave jockey Jose Ortiz a bad feeling.
“He carries his head low to the ground and can give the impression he’s about to go wrong,” Walsh said. “He was fine after the race.”
Before the Marathon, Honorable Duty returned from a three-month layoff to finish third behind Mind Your Biscuits in the Lukas Classic at Churchill, a solid enough performance to imagine him winning the Louisiana.
“I think he’s held his form,” Walsh said. “He loves New Orleans. He works good on this track, and he looks great. It’d be nice to show he’s still got it.”
Honorable Duty is listed at 5-2 on the morning line, and while he’s capable, that’s a short price on a horse likely past his best days.
Trainer Brad Cox will scratch Pioneer Spirit and start Harlan Punch, who took a tough loss last out at Remington Park and could bounce after a strong comeback race.
The pick for a mild upset is Snapper Sinclair, who ran his best race, a brutal beat in the Grade 2 Risen Star, at this course and distance 11 months ago.
Snapper Sinclair “got nothing out of” a turf-sprint comeback last fall, trainer Steve Asmussen said, improved to finish second in a highly rated Churchill Downs allowance, then got hooked into a strong pace here last month in the Tenacious. He could be set for a peak performance if a trip can be worked out from the rail.
Duncan Kenner Stakes
The Illinois-bred Wynn Time is the fastest sprinter in racing condition stabled at Fair Grounds and will be bet accordingly in the $75,000 Duncan Kenner Stakes.
Wynn Time won a salty edition of the Thanksgiving Handicap earlier in the meet while returning from a seven-month layoff. For want of a dirt race, trainer Hugh Robertson and owner-breeder John Mentz tried Wynn Time on grass Dec. 22 in the Bonapaw Stakes, and Wynn Time, despite preferring the main track, won by a neck.
Wynn Time is listed at 3-5 on the morning line partly because of who he is and partly because of who the other five in the race are. Wynn Time has beaten four of them, and the other horse, Kowboy Karma, never has come close to running fast enough to threaten the heavy favorite.
The horse with a small upset chance might be Colonelsdarktemper, who was kept almost exclusively in route races in 2017-18 but might suit sprints. He was beaten just 2 1/4 lengths in the Thanksgiving despite breaking from the rail while making his first start in six months.
Marie Krantz Memorial
Dubara has run well in four of her five starts since being imported from England – run well without winning.
On Saturday, she stands a decent chance of breaking through in the $75,000 Marie Krantz Memorial, though a rain-off onto the main track would compromise her competitiveness.
Trainer Brendan Walsh raced Dubara in blinkers for the first time Dec. 22 in the Blushing K.D. Stakes here, and Dubara responded by getting into her race much more quickly than she had been. She had the lead at the stretch call before settling for a close third.
“I thought they helped her travel a little bit better,” said Walsh. “If she can repeat that, she’ll be right there.”
Dubara’s only poor U.S. race came when Walsh ran her back on only a week’s rest at Kentucky Downs.
If the race is rained onto dirt, the front-running America’s Tale rates an edge.
