Inveniam Viam paying big dividends for Cox

Dazzling Gem, the talented 4-year-old dirt-route horse, is set to make his first start since March this weekend, but it won’t come Saturday at Fair Grounds. Dazzling Gem’s name appears among the entries for the $75,000 Tenacious Stakes, but he’ll start instead in a race Sunday at Remington Park, trainer Brad Cox said.

Cox still has Leofric for the Tenacious, and he also has two more stakes trophies after Inveniam Viam won the $100,000 Louisiana Ladies and Extra Credit the $100,000 Louisiana Turf this past Saturday.

The Inveniam Viam situation is especially noteworthy. Cox and Allied Racing claimed the 5-year-old mare for just $20,000 last January, and she since has won three stakes and more than $200,000. Unfortunately for both her connections and those of Extra Credit, there are no Louisiana turf stakes for older horses, male or female, until March, and both horses will have to try open company in order to race before the meet is nearly over.

An even better Louisiana-bred grass horse, Believe in Bertie, is headed to Fair Grounds but has yet to work while coming back from an extended layoff. One of the top few turf mares last winter in New Orleans, Believe in Bertie could make one start this meet before targeting a spring campaign.

Stall-Brittlyn 2-year-olds coming right back

Minit to Stardom, who won the $100,000 Champions Day Lassie, and Divine Bean, who ran faster than his stablemate but was second to Greeley Went West in the $100,000 Juvenile, are intended runners in divisions of the Louisiana Futurity on Dec. 31, trainer Al Stall said. Both horses were bred and are owned by the Brittlyn Stables and are by Brittlyn's homegrown sire Star Guitar.

Minit to Stardom was one of two Champions Day stakes winners for Stall along with My Miss Chiff, who captured the Ladies Sprint. My Miss Chiff, Stall said, could try open stakes competition in the American Beauty on Jan. 27 at Oaklawn.

* There are six stakes on a really strong Saturday card.

* Brian W. Spencer, the racing analyst and media director at Fair Grounds and Arlington, has resigned those positions for another racing opportunity and said he will be leaving Fair Grounds following the card on Jan. 17.