Proxy moves forward in runner-up Lecomte finish

Three-year-old colt Proxy had notched easy dirt-route maiden and allowance wins early in the Fair Grounds meet, but showed more in defeat this past Saturday than in those victories.

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In his wins, Proxy had cozy leads over short fields, but in the Lecomte he chased eventual winner Midnight Bourbon, then was challenged and briefly passed in midstretch by odds-on favorite Mandaloun. Proxy fought on, beating Mandaloun by a head for second while one length behind the wire-to-wire winner.

“He did what he needed to do to keep moving forward,” said Mike Stidham, who trains Proxy for Godolphin. “Numbers-wise, he’s made good moves forward, and he’s a big, healthy 3-year-old going the right way at the right time. If he’s doing well, we’ll plan for the Risen Star and the Louisiana Derby.”

◗ The nine-race Friday card isn’t bad, but the highest-class fare is a pair of first-level allowance races, races 7 and 8.