Peck: Pick four play at Fair Grounds for Saturday, March 26

The main event on closing weekend at Fair Grounds is, of course the Louisiana Derby, race 10 on the card and the last leg of an all-stakes pick four.

RACE 7: INTERNATIONAL STAR was off the board as the odds-on favorite in the Mineshaft last time out but he was against the race flow, which favored those horses close to the pace. Expecting improvement. EAGLE ran a much better race, closing to just miss while also trying to close in a race where speed held the edge, though he has to deal with the wide post.

A's: 1, 10

B's: NONE

C's: NONE

RACE 8: ROMAN APPROVAL finished second behind CHOCOLATE RIDE in each of his last two but he closed well both times and should get a better set-up. Chocolate Ride is clearly in very good form and is once again the one to catch. CLOSING BELL gets back on turf after trying the Donn Handicap in his latest, and while he has only one win on this surface he has had his share of excuses, mostly involving pace. BLARP didn't run his best race last time, mostly because he didn't have the race flow in his corner as he did in his previous three starts, as evidenced by the Pace Ace "H" symbols in those running lines. That said, he should get more help up front.

A's: 2, 5

B's: 4, 8

C's: NONE

RACE 9: MIDNIGHT ON OCONEE will look to steal this race for trainer Larry Jones, who has won this race three times, including last year. The lack of pace in the field certainly works to her advantage and she's well drawn inside. STAGEPLAY ran down MIDNIGHT ON OCONEE in the Silverbulletday over this strip two back, and though she weakened and finished of the board in her latest she made a middle move into a decent pace there.

A's: 2,4

B's: NONE

C's: NONE

RACE 10: Playing against some of the closers in this Louisiana Derby, as the ralliers in the Risen Star were aided by the race flow. MO TOM came from off the pace to finish third in the Risen Star, and was thus well set up, but he also had trouble in that run. CANDY MY BOY was on the lead in that race and though he weakened in the drive this looks like a much kinder pace scenario for him. TOM'S READY was closer to the pace than he needed to be in the Risen Star, and will likely rebound here.

A's: 5, 6

B's: 7

C's: NONE

:: See Kenny Peck’s pick four play in DRF TicketMaker and bet it with DRF Bets