The rematch isn’t on. Miles Ahead and Montalcino, separated by a head in a fast renewal of the Thanksgiving Classic, are headed in separate directions. Both horses are stabled at Fair Grounds, which has a large hole in its stakes program, as the Thanksgiving Classic at the opening of the meet is the only open dirt sprint stakes race for older horses during a season that spans more than four months. Miles Ahead has won the last two runnings of the Thanksgiving Classic, registering a 104 Beyer Speed Figure each time. This year’s Thanksgiving Classic was Miles Ahead’s first start since April, as trainer Paul McGee deftly prepared him with a series of works. Miles Ahead, an 8-year-old gelding campaigned by the Jay Em Ess Stable, most recently breezed Jan. 1 and is on track to start in the $150,000 King Cotton Stakes at Oaklawn Park on Jan. 25, McGee said. Miles Ahead made his 35th career start in the Thanksgiving Classic, while Montalcino, half Miles Ahead’s age, raced for only the third time. A sharp Saratoga debut winner in August, Montalcino cleared his first allowance condition at Keeneland by six lengths, earning a 97 Beyer that rose to a 103 in the Thanksgiving Classic. Montalcino had his first works since his last start on Jan. 9, breezing a half-mile in 49 seconds, but will not start in the King Cotton, said trainer Cherie DeVaux. “He worked really well and looked good this morning,” DeVaux said. “We’re going to look for a race for him at Fair Grounds or Oaklawn. His big goal is the Commonwealth at Keeneland.” Justique, a good-looking winner of a second-level dirt sprint allowance on Jan. 2 at Fair Grounds, her first start since the summer and first for DeVaux, could run next in the Feb. 22 Carousel at Oaklawn. Innova makes second turf start Innova moved up considerably in his turf debut, and a good second at this level on Dec. 16 start should make him favored in the featured third race Sunday at Fair Grounds. Like Innova’s most recent outing, this 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint is restricted by age and has an optional claiming tag of $100,000. Innova ran for the claiming price last time, but after boosting his career-best Beyer from 67 on dirt to 77 on grass, he’s entered under allowance conditions Sunday. Listed at 2-1 on the morning line, Innova could go off lower than that in a race that drew only six entrants for turf, with main-track-only entrant I Got Game a likely winner at a short price if grass racing Sunday is abandoned. Tom Amoss trains I Got Game and also entered Derek’s Law, a horse, like Innova, who could improve with a surface switch. Derek’s Law’s 18-year-old unraced dam, Autumn Wedding, has gotten 11 foals to race, several of whom handled turf and synthetics, but the greater pedigree draw comes from second-crop sire Tiz the Law. Tiz the Law’s 50 grass starters have compiled a 12-11-4 record, the 24 percent strike rate more than double the average stallion’s percentage of turf winners. Derek’s Law exits a second-start Delta Downs maiden win on Nov. 1 and has worked steadily at Fair Grounds since Nov. 14. East Avenue works again That didn’t take long. Six days after East Avenue had the first timed workout of his 3-year-old season, going a half-mile in 49.20 on Jan. 3, he had his second, working another half-mile work in 49.20 on Thursday at Fair Grounds. Brendan Walsh, who trains East Avenue for his breeder, Godolphin, said after the first breeze that East Avenue was on target to make his 2025 debut in February, most likely in the Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds. East Avenue only got a short break after a bad stumble at the start of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile led to a ninth-place finish. Favored at 9-5 after a smashing victory in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity, East Avenue was kindly ridden through the homestretch by jockey Tyler Gaffalione when it became evident he wouldn’t factor in the outcome. ◗ Jonathan’s Way, winner of the Grade 3 Iroquois in September with a 90 Beyer and subsequently seventh in the BC Juvenile and second in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes, had his first work since shipping to Fair Grounds when he breezed three furlongs in 36.20 on Jan. 6. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.