Illegal Memories, Vrrroom clash in Fair Grounds Challenge

Fair Grounds will close out its 10-date Quarter Horse meet on Saturday with a stakes double, led by the $40,000 Fair Grounds Challenge. The winner of the 440-yard race will qualify for the Grade 1, $350,000 Challenge Championship. It is one of six major stakes to be held at Fair Grounds on Nov. 19 as part of the $1.1 million Challenge Championships program. The traveling series of stakes will be making its first appearance in New Orleans.

Illegal Memories, a Grade 1 winner of $711,106, and Vrrroom, who invades from Los Alamitos, appear to be the top contenders in the Fair Grounds Challenge.

Eye Got the Blues, the winner of the Grade 1 Sam Houston Futurity in 2009, makes his first start of the year in the $50,000 The Treme. The 350-yard race is for 3-year-olds bred in Louisiana.

◗ Lone Star Park, which is also racing Quarter Horses, has set a special early post of 5:35 p.m. Central on Saturday to accommodate 16 trials for the Grade 1, $500,000 Dash for Cash Futurity.