Stakes will have to wait for Trust Factor

The Louisiana-bred 3-year-old Trust Factor impressed many onlookers with a sharp two-length victory Sunday in a statebred-restricted, first-level turf allowance.

“He impressed me, too,” said trainer Mike Maker.

But Maker said the lightly raced son of Paddy O’Prado would make his next start in a second-level, Louisiana-bred grass race rather than stepping up in class to try the $100,000 Champions Day Turf next month.

“We’ll go for the allowance race first and see how he does,” Maker said.

Trust Factor has raced only four times and was laid off until this fall after starting twice last fall. He won his comeback race, an open maiden race on turf, at Indiana Grand before Sunday’s win.

Asked how many horses he’d have stabled at Fair Grounds this season, Maker said, “As many as they’ll let me.”

That number, though, will settle in at about 25, and Maker said his string will slant heavily toward grass horses.