Stablemates headed for stakes clash at Fair Grounds

Bouquet Booth and Little Miss Holly will meet in the Silverbulletday Stakes on the afternoon of Jan. 22, but they also squared off on Saturday morning at Fair Grounds. The two 3-year-old fillies worked five furlongs in company, with Bouquet Booth finishing a little in front of Little Miss Holly.

“Bouquet Booth got a little bit the better of her at the end, but that’s to be expected since she’s a Grade 3 winner and the other filly just won a maiden last time,” said Steve Margolis, who trains both horses.

Bouquet Booth, winner of the Grade 3 Delta Princess in her most recent start, was timed in 59.80 seconds for five furlongs, while Little Miss Holly, a six-length Fair Grounds maiden winner last out in her first two-turn dirt start, was given a time of 1:00. Shaun Bridgmohan rode both horses to victory in their most recent start, but was aboard Bouquet Booth on Saturday morning and will ride her in the Silverbulletday, Margolis said. Rosie Napravnik picks up the mount on Little Miss Holly and was aboard for the Saturday workout.

Margolis had planned to work the fillies on Friday, but their breeze was pushed back a day because of freezing weather this week in New Orleans. There was no training or racing on Thursday, and on Friday morning the racetrack was only open for training between 7:30 and 10:00. The surface was fast and speed-favoring on Friday afternoon, but seemed to have evened out by Saturday.

“Today was perfect,” Margolis said.

Also working for Margolis was Stay Put, who logged a half-mile in 50.40 second, his third timed workout of the Fair Grounds meet. Stay Put has not started since he finished sixth in the Belmont Stakes, but Margolis hopes to have him race ready by late February or early March. Stay Put was diagnosed with a small fracture in a hind leg not long after the Belmont, an injury that required rest but not surgery.

“He’s filled out a little more, gotten stronger looking,” Margolis said of Stay Put.

◗ The only open allowance race on Monday’s card is an entry-level route allowance for older horses, race 9 of 10 on the day. Eight were entered to run one mile 70 yards, but only seven are likely to start, with James Graham named on both halves the Louie Roussel-owned and -trained entry of Holiday Ballad and Sicomoro.