Southside Warrior looks to break through in Thursday allowance feature

An important first-level allowance race for the Mark Casse barn comes Friday at Fair Grounds, where the 3-year-old filly Valadorna makes her first start of 2017. But Casse’s string also has a live runner in Thursday’s featured fourth race, another first-level allowance.

Southside Warrior twice has finished second at the class level in similar dirt-route races at this meet and stands a solid chance of finally breaking through Thursday. He’s drawn outside in a seven-horse field and has Robby Albarado named to ride. Southside Warrior missed by a head after racing three wide on both turns Dec. 3, and in his most recent start Dec. 29, he was second to the eye-catching Egyptian.

Tough Customer, who nipped Southside Warrior on Dec. 3, is among his rivals Thursday, entered under the race’s $17,500 claiming option.

General Downs was favored to win the Dec. 29 race in which Southside Warrior finished second but never really got involved and checked in sixth. A one-race blinkers experiment ends, and General Downs could rebound.

Saint’s Fan to Delta Downs

Saint’s Fan, who was scratched from the Lecomte Stakes because he drew post 12, is scheduled to make his next start Feb. 11 in the Louisiana Premier Night Prince at Delta Downs, according to Dallas Stewart, who bred, owns, and trains Saint’s Fan.

Saint’s Fan worked a half-mile in 50 seconds last Thursday after Stewart had decided to take him out of the Lecomte. The Louisiana-bred Saint’s Fan, by Tale of Ekati, has won both of his starts. He beat the talented Proforma in an open Churchill Downs maiden race in his debut and then won the Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile here Dec. 10.

The one-mile Prince will be Saint’s Fan’s first try around two turns. Stewart said if Saint’s Fan runs well in the race, he could be considered for the Louisiana Derby.