Logical Myth has come long way since September

NEW ORLEANS – Regardless of where he finishes Saturday in the Muniz Memorial Stakes, Logical Myth has won the winter at Fair Grounds.

In September, Logical Myth still was eligible for a first-level allowance race, but since that time he has won a rich entry-level allowance at Kentucky Downs, a second-level allowance race at Fair Grounds, the $75,000 Buddy Diliberto Stakes and the $125,000 Colonel E.R. Bradley Stakes. Last month, racing over a rain-softened turf course he probably didn’t love, Logical Myth finished second in the Grade 3 Fair Grounds Stakes, and now he gets his chance in the richest grass race of the Fair Grounds season, the Grade 2, $300,000 Muniz.

That’s a remarkable run for a horse who last summer was claimed by $40,000. Joe Sharp signed the claim slip for John Paul S. D’Anna’s JPS Racing; Logical Myth is the only horse JPS owns.

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“They know this isn’t the way it usually works out,” Sharp said.

The first-level allowance eligibility sparked Sharp’s interest in making the claim: Knock out a rich first-level allowance, like Logical Myth did late last summer, and you are basically out on the claim price paid. Logical Myth has gone far better than that, putting together a string of six straight peak performances while handling steady steps up the class ladder.

“The horse came to me in such great condition,” Sharp said. “All we really did was castrate him.”

Logical Myth was gelded after an even third at Indiana Grand last July, his first start for the new connections. “It took a little while, but by the time he ran at Kentucky Downs, he was showing a lot of life. He’s just happy to do his job and likes this new way of thinking,” Sharp said.

Logical Myth is one of 12 entered in the 1 1/8-mile Muniz, which will have Pegasus World Cup Turf winner Colonel Liam as the favorite. Cross Border finished third in the Pegasus Turf a race after Logical Myth beat him in the Diliberto, and it’s not a crazy leap of logic to imagine Logical Myth running competitively again Saturday.

Prate sidelined; Set Piece back to Turfway

Prate, the Juddmonte Farms homebred who turned in one of the sharpest maiden wins of the Fair Grounds meet, sustained a leg injury that required surgical repair and is on the shelf indefinitely, trainer Brad Cox said. Prate debuted Dec. 19 and easily won a maiden sprint, earning an 89 Beyer Speed Figure.

Cox also reported that Set Piece, most recently fourth on turf in the Fair Grounds Stakes last month, will race next March 27 at Turfway Park in the Kentucky Cup Classic. Set Piece this winter won an allowance race and the Prairie Bayou Stakes over Turfway’s synthetic surface.

*** Mitchell Murrill, who topped the jockey standings earlier this meet, came into this past weekend slumping badly, with just one winner from his last 58 mounts at Fair Grounds. Murrill reversed that trend with a vengeance, winning four races Saturday and three more Sunday.