Rue de Reves tries for six in row
BOSSIER CITY, La. - Rue de Reves, unbeaten this year, goes for her sixth straight victory in Friday's multiple condition allowance feature at Louisiana Downs. The likely favorite, Rue de Reves, will face six rivals going 1 1/16 miles on turf.
Although she had won five races before this year, has taken her game to a new level this season for trainer Dwight Viator. After dominating the starter allowance ranks at Fair Grounds, due in part to her previously modest class levels, Rue Des Reves stalked and pounced to defeat first-level and second-level allowance runners at Fair Grounds and Lone Star Park. The 6-year-old Rue de Reves will be making her local debut on Friday and will once again be ridden by John Jacinto, who has been aboard for all five wins in 2005.
has won her last two, including the Red Camelia Handicap over the Fair Grounds turf in her last start. Trained by John Taylor, Merry Mary was a statebred stakes regular here last year as a 3-year-old but remained winless the entire season. Merry Mary appears to have found a home on the turf, and she has worked a solid half-mile last week as she returns after seven weeks of freshening. Gerard Melancon, up for her last two wins, once again will ride Merry Mary.
While the short price exacta of Rue de Reves and Merry Mary looks pretty solid, finding a trifecta kicker in Friday's feature may pose the biggest handicapping challenge. The remaining five look similar, all trying to reverse recent spotty form.
, a 10-year-old trained by Howard Scarberry, fits the back class angle, having won 13 races and more than $470,000 in her career. While she has a couple of wins over the grass, she has been better on the main track, including wins in the Matron Stakes at Evangeline Downs and the local Cornucopia Stakes last year. Kirk LeBlanc will ride.
Salzurita was also a stakes winner on the main track in 2004, capturing a $75,000 added-money event at Mountaineer Race Track last May. She has one race over the Louisiana Downs turf, a solid second-place finish against allowance rivals last fall. Jeff Burningham has the call.