Race flow of Star Guitar not ideal for Underpressure

Underpressure already has won the $150,000 Louisiana Champions Day Classic and the $60,000 Dixie Poker Ace during the Fair Grounds race meet, and he’ll be favored to add a third stakes to his winter-spring haul in the closing-day feature, the $60,000 Star Guitar, on Sunday.

Trained by Chris Richard for owner Mallory Greiner, Underpressure will have at most six opponents in the Star Guitar, carded for 1 1/16 miles on dirt for older Louisiana-breds. What Underpressure, who utilizes stalking and closing tactics, won’t have is much pace at which to run: The Star Guitar lacks established front-runners, and if a handicapper wanted to get cute, he or she might try to beat Underpressure from a race-shape angle.

Gladyousawme, the likely early leader from post 1, just might be good enough to take advantage of a favorable race flow. There was more speed in the March 2 Dixie Poker Ace, which was rained off turf, and after tracking two leaders through a half-mile in 47.84, Gladyousawme was run down by Underpressure and Mageez, another Star Guitar starter. But if Gladyousawme waddles through a half-mile Sunday in something like 49 seconds, the outcome could be different.

Pound for Pound has a touch of tactical pace, but every other Star Guitar runner does his best work late in the game. Jockey James Graham rides Gladyousawme for trainer Joe Smith, and Graham has done a lot of good work all winter at Fair Grounds. If he and his mount catch a flier at the start and can control the tempo, the game could be over by the time those late runners even start to do their best.

◗ The races for leading trainer and jockey at the meet could be settled on closing day. After two races Friday, Adam Beschizza led James Graham 78-75 in the 2018-19 jockey standings, and both riders have plenty of chances on closing weekend. Beschizza was edged 66-65 by Shaun Bridgmohan for leading rider last season. On the training side, Brad Cox led Joe Sharp 48 wins to 46 after two races Friday. Cox won the training title last season by four, 53-49, over Sharp and was eight wins ahead of him for leading trainer during the 2016-17 season.

◗ Malpais ran like a stakes-class 3-year-old sprinter in winning the first race on Friday’s card. Malpais went straight to the lead in this first-level allowance race and scored by almost six lengths over odds-on favorite Distant Shore, going six furlongs in a sizzling 1:09.07. Sharp trains Malpais, a son of Hard Spun who was making his fifth start.