Sense of Home drops in sprint

BOSSIER CITY, La. - A pair of optional claiming events top the Louisiana Downs card Friday, with both races carrying a first-level condition accompanied by a $12,000 claiming option.

The first of Friday's co-features goes as the seventh race and is a six-furlong dash for Louisiana-bred fillies and mares. Sense of Home could be a tepid favorite off a near miss for a $16,000 claiming price against open company. She experienced traffic trouble early on the turn that day, and the race was her first in two months. Leading rider Don Simington has the call.

Sense of Home may have to catch Salty's Sister, who could get off to a comfortable early lead. Salty's Sister comes off a sharp maiden win at Churchill Downs and will be making her first start against Louisiana-breds on the main track. Trainer Cecil Borel, who has won with three of his nine starters since arriving at mid-meeting from Kentucky, will give Sidney Lejeune a leg up.

In the eighth race, a full field of nine fillies will go a mile on the grass, with the rail out 25 feet this week.

Going to the Sun is scheduled to make her grass debut. Trained by Michelle Lovell, Going to the Sun hasn't raced since the Azalea at Calder July 11.

With Going to Sun contributing to what promises to be a lively pace, the late-running Rose Medallion may be in a good position to take advantage. Trained by Al Stall Jr., Rose Medallion has been idle since finishing third on the grass July 11. That race has since achieved key race status, with the first two finishers as well as at least one also-ran having won their next start.

* There will be a change to the usual Thursday-through-Sunday schedule next week due to the Labor Day holiday. The race week will begin Friday, Sept. 4, and extend through Monday, Sept. 7. The holiday weekend's highlights include the Elge Rasberry and A.L. Erwin Stakes, which will each be worth as much as $150,000 for those who passed through selected sales in the state.

* Beginning this week, training hours have been changed to 6-10 a.m. because of the diminishing daylight of late summer. The renovation break will be from 8-8:30 a.m. The track will remain closed to training on Mondays.

Sunday mornings continue to be extremely busy for the track clocking staff. A total of 170 horses had published workouts this past Sunday, a hefty number considering the meeting is close to 75 percent complete.