Hotshot Anna recovering from eye injury

Hotshot Anna, winner of five straight races and a two-time heroine of the Grade 2, $400,000 Presque Isle Masters, suffered an eye injury while winning the Richie Scherer Memorial Stakes on Nov. 30 at Fair Grounds.

Owner-trainer Hugh Robertson said a clod struck Hotshot Anna’s eye during the race, eventually causing an ulcer. The affected area is being treated and is improving, but Hotshot Anna won’t make an intended start Dec. 28 in the Pan Zareta Stakes. Robertson said she could return Jan. 25 in the Nelson Menard Memorial. Hotshot Anna sits just under $1 million in career earnings.

Meanwhile, news is less promising on Wynn Time, the Robertson-trained gelding who won three sprint stakes last season at Fair Grounds. Wynn Time returned from a long layoff with a below-par performance Nov. 16 at Hawthorne and isn’t training right now while stabled at Fair Grounds.

“I don’t know if he’s going to make it back,” Robertson said. “I wasn’t too happy when he couldn’t beat Illinois-breds last time.”

◗ A first-level filly-and-mare turf allowance route carded as the Friday feature proved popular at the entry box, with 14 horses in the main body of the field, one also-eligible, and another main track-only entrant.

Trainer Brad Cox bookends the field with Out of Trouble, who drew post 1, and Silver Shaker, who is marooned out in post 14. Out of Trouble recently arrived from Cox’s string in New York, where she won a second-level New York-bred allowance race three starts ago. Her form won’t bowl you over and Cox-trained Fair Grounds starters often are bet below fair value, but Out of Trouble rates a slight edge Friday.

◗ The connections of Ursula, an eye-catching 2-year-old filly maiden winner Nov. 30 at Fair Grounds, are leaning toward starting her in the Letellier Stakes on Saturday over a two-turn allowance race in which she also was entered.