Real News might have hands full with Latent Revenge

On an otherwise dim, swampy Thursday card, the featured eighth race at Fair Grounds comes like a sudden clearing breaking through a dark bayou.

Short fields and low-level runners populate most of this program, but the Thursday feature is long on entrants and strong for the class, a second-level allowance also open to $40,000 claimers and carded at about 5 1/2 furlongs on grass. There are nine horses in the main body of the race, one also-eligible, and two entered main track only.

The race’s most noteworthy intended participant is Real News, an Al Stall-trained 3-year-old who showed plenty of promise last winter, spring, and early summer, and who is set to race for the first time since June 29. Real News debuted at Fair Grounds in January and won an off-turf maiden race, came back with a victory sprinting in a Fair Grounds first-level allowance on turf, and proceeded to run highly competitive seconds and thirds in three grass stakes races, one sprinting, two at one mile. His form cycle ended with a Churchill Downs dirt sprint, where he rushed into a hot tempo mid-race and faded late to finish fifth.

Real News’s failure to quite see out one-mile, two-turn starts in the James Murphy at Pimlico and the Penn Mile at Penn National signal turf sprints might be his calling. Real News hit the work tab following his break on Oct. 30, has maintained a steady pattern, and is well drawn on the outside for a favorable stalking trip, but is unlikely to offer much in the way of betting value.

Among the others, Carter Cat clearly is overmatched and Jake the Band Man would have run a corker if he manages to finish fourth. Tina’s Exchange has very stale southern California form that fits the spot, while the Bret Calhoun-trained Lawton hinted at being something more but never has been able to get over the hump at this class level.

Then come more interesting propositions. Five-year-old Overnight Success won for only the second time in his most recent start, Oct. 24 at Hawthorne, but that race also was his first turf sprint in a year and a half and trainer Louie Roussel’s barn has started this meet in strong form. Don’task Don’ttell, another 5-year-old, has run in nothing but routes for as far back as his form lines reach, has ample talent to contend in this group, but would be more interesting trying something new at a higher price than his 7-2 morning line.

Three-year-old Vivid Verse finished a couple lengths in arrears of Real News in a Keeneland turf sprint last fall but broke slowly in the race and had a challenging trip. He makes his second start after a long layoff, won twice over this course last meet, and should be positive value.

Latent Revenge, however, is the pick to win. Latent Revenge comes off a 10th-place finish Nov. 1 at Churchill Downs, a poor showing that ought to help his price. He failed to make the lead in that turf sprint and Latent Revenge is as strong a need-the-lead type horse as you’ll find. There’s little doubt Latent Revenge, on the cusp of turning 8 and with 39 starts in the rearview mirror, is on the downside of his career, and maybe his failure to find the front last time signals he’s falling fast. But Latent Revenge drops to his lowest class level in years, and class-droppers with speed always merit attention at a decent price. Four of Latent Revenge’s five career wins have come over the Fair Grounds course – perhaps he will notch another Thursday.

Zofelle to Pago Hop

The 3-year-old filly Zofelle won only one of seven starts racing last year and through July in England, but she’s 2 for 2 in America after a sharp second-level turf-route allowance win Dec. 5 at Fair Grounds. Zofelle is bound for the $75,000 Pago Hop Stakes on Dec. 28, trainer Brendan Walsh said in a text message.

Zofelle won a first-level allowance over older horses at Keeneland in October by two lengths and at Fair Grounds beat older rivals again despite finding early traffic that led to some headstrong behavior. Zofelle, by Zoffany, got an 80 Beyer Speed Figure for both starts and will move into age- and sex-restricted competition in the Pago Hop.

Walsh also said he’ll be in Kentucky this weekend and will look in on Maxfield, the winner of the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity who had to be scratched early Breeders’ Cup week because of a lameness that prevented him from starting in the BC Juvenile.

Ladies Sprint stands out

And the best race on Saturday’s Louisiana Champions Day program is – the Ladies Sprint?

Yeah, the $100,000 Ladies Sprint isn’t typically a hotbed of high-level performance, but this year’s renewal includes Minit to Stardom and Ours to Run, who finished first and third in the Grade 2 Honorable Miss last summer at Saratoga. Talented 3-year-old Midnight Fantasy also is entered but might not be able keep up with Minit to Stardom and Ours to Run, who won the Ladies Sprint a year ago.

Meanwhile, Chimney Rock moves from a second-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint into the $100,000 Juvenile but has no dirt races close to the equal of his top turf tries. He faces Binding Agreement, a standout debut winner Nov. 28 at Fair Grounds.

The card is composed of 13 races, all for Louisiana-breds, three for Quarter Horses, two non-stakes races for Thoroughbreds, and five Thoroughbred stakes, headlined by the $150,000 Classic, which drew a field of 8. First post Saturday is noon Central.