Spectacular Gem gets shot at redemption in Black Gold Stakes

The jockey Mirco Demuro performed the mother of all early moves in a two-turn race when he swept to the front aboard Victoire Pisa down the backstretch of the 2011 Dubai World Cup and went on to victory. Demuro’s decision to pull the trigger so soon was notable not just because he did so in the world’s richest horserace, but because the tactic rarely works.

It sure didn’t for jockey Joe Rocco and his mount, Spectacular Gem, in the Lloyd “Captain” Maestri Stakes on Feb. 2 at Fair Grounds. Rocco was right to sense a slow pace in that two-turn turf mile, and he let Spectacular Gem move from a stalking position to the lead before hitting the half-mile pole. But Spectacular Gem wound up having to make his own way for too long, and after a gradual acceleration into the homestretch and all the way to the eighth pole, he was run down late by Marquee Prince.

Marquee Prince sat chilly on the fence as Spectacular Gem did all the hard work, and he popped off the rail the final 200 yards to pounce on Spectacular Gem. Maybe Marquee Prince is just the better grass horse of the two, but Spectacular Gem could be the better betting value Saturday in the $75,000 Black Gold Stakes, another turf mile for 3-year-olds.

Those two make up 25 percent of a field that could wind up racing over the main track should the local forecast hold. Turf racing Thursday at Fair Grounds was abandoned because of a wet course.

Spectacular Gem, trained by Jimmy Baker, has Rocco back in the irons Saturday. Before the Captain Maestri, Spectacular Gem had bounded to a six-length Fair Grounds allowance win making his turf debut Jan. 12. Spectacular Gem, by the young and little-known sire Can the Man, has made only his last two starts wearing blinkers, and if that equipment change has boosted his overall form, his older dirt form could suffice to win the Black Gold should it be moved to dirt.

Marquee Prince, from the Brad Cox barn, also has decent dirt form, though his two best races came on turf. He turned in his most complete performance winning the Captain Maestri, and the only horse among 110 to work a faster half-mile than him Feb. 23 at Fair Grounds was Tampa Bay Derby-bound 3-year-old Dream Maker.

Bluegrass Parkway, listed on the morning-line as the 7-2 second choice ahead of 4-1 Spectacular Gem, had his own trouble in the Captain Maestri and appears to have a win chance on turf. Tobacco Road, Vivid Verse, and Uncapped are lower-tier possibilities.

The Black Gold comes early as race 4, while the $60,000 Dixie Poker Ace for older Louisiana-breds going about a mile on turf is race 8. The Dixie Poker Ace drew a dozen entrants with the connections of several clearly hoping for a move to the main track.

On turf, In the Navy figures prominently on the general strength of his grass form and particularly because he comfortably won the Mr. Sulu Stakes at Fair Grounds in his most recent turf try. At a longer price, he’d certainly hold more appeal than Extra Credit, who was nosed out of victory in this race a year ago, but who hasn’t started since May 26.

Grand Luwegee might be entered with an eye toward dirt but rates a long look on turf, too. Just a 4-year-old, Grand Luwegee’s form has jumped forward since he began racing without Lasix four starts ago. He exits a game victory in the $150,000 Premier Championship at Delta Downs and might still have room to grow.