Saturday allowance no easy pickings for Tapit's Conquest
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
Fair Grounds in recent years has offered allowance race options for 3-year-olds either on the same day or the day before the Lecomte in January and the Risen Star in February. These are meant to accommodate runners not quite ready for prime time, but the first-level allowance on Saturday, race 9, doesn’t look like a much easier spot than the Lecomte, race 14.
Six were entered in the 1 1/16-mile dirt race with a nonwinners-of-two allowance condition and an $80,000 claiming option. Tapit’s Conquest was cross-entered in the Lecomte, where his trainer, Brad Cox, starts likely favorite Instant Coffee. Cox on Wednesday morning said he wasn’t yet sure where Tapit’s Conquest would go, though the feeling among other trainers running horses in the allowance and the Lecomte is that Tapit’s Conquest winds up in race 9.
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Cox also entered Tapit Shoes in the allowance race, but Tapit’s Conquest, modest Beyer Speed Figures of 74 and 72 aside, looks the better prospect. His debut, a sprint where he was beaten three-quarters of a length at Saratoga with a demanding trip, was good, and his two-turn maiden win Oct. 1 at Churchill Downs was better.
Tapit’s Conquest got knocked around on the first turn by a horse badly getting out, but recovered to fall into a favorable trip, drawing away late to win by 3 1/2 lengths. Tapit’s Conquest ran back Oct. 30 in a Churchill Downs allowance that was called off mid-race because of a fallen horse on the first turn, then was given a breather, returning to the work tab last month at Fair Grounds. His breeze pattern since has been consistent, but Tapit’s Conquest faces a colt who looks comparably talented in Banishing.
Banishing, a Godolphin homebred by Ghostzapper, finished a close and encouraging fourth making his career debut in a one-turn Churchill mile Nov. 13. Stretched to two turns Dec. 26 at Fair Grounds, Banishing set a strong pace and pulled away to an 8 1/2-length win that produced a 90 Beyer.
“He’s been doing great since then, actually,” said trainer Brendan Walsh, who divides his time this winter between strings in Kentucky, Florida, and New Orleans. “I saw him work Saturday and he worked very well.”
Banishing went in company last weekend after breezing solo, and less impressively, the weekend before.
“He does need the company,” Walsh said. “He lacks a little focus at times.”
Trainer Mark Casse chose the allowance over the Lecomte for Determinedly, who impressively won a seven-furlong maiden race Nov. 26 at Churchill but was a fading third at two turns as the odds-on favorite Dec. 26 in the Gun Runner Stakes.
“It’s a good question, the distance,” said Casse’s Fair Grounds assistant, David Carroll. “He stumbled out of the gate last time and just chased the winner. He’s had seven starts, so you wonder how much upside there is. We’re hoping for a clean break, and as far as how he’s doing, he’s training great.”
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