Stall gets off to hot start at Fair Grounds meet

The opening-day past performances at the Fair Grounds meet suggested trainer Al Stall was set up for a monster day, but as anyone in racing knows, lining up the ducks typically is a lot easier than shooting them down. But in this case, the Stall barn executed as well as it planned, winning four of the 10 races this past Saturday.

“Days like that, things all have to go right,” Stall said Tuesday.

My Miss Chiff got the party started winning the $50,000 Happy Ticket Stakes by 1 1/2 lengths while making her first start since a third-place finish in the May 19 Miss Preakness Stakes. Stall then scored a natural hat trick, winning races 7 and 8 with first-time starters Minit to Stardom and Divine Bean, and running one-two in race 9 with Feisty Embrace and Andthebandplayedon.

Minit to Stardom and Divine Bean, each favored, both are Brittyln Stables homebreds by Brittlyn’s own sire and former Stall trainee Star Guitar. They ran nearly identical times in 5 1/2-furlong Louisiana-bred maiden races, Minit to Stardom getting a 65 Beyer Speed Figure, Divine Bean 66.

“We liked them, but first-time starters, you never know how they’re going to act and break and things like that,” Stall said. “You put in the time, school them, and hope it works out.”

Divine Bean, a colt, is bound for the Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile, while the filly Minit to Stardom will go to the Champions Day Lassie. My Miss Chiff equaled her career-best 82 Beyer and runs next in the Champions Day Ladies Sprint.

“That filly got in a ton of trouble, pushed out from the inside and hammered from the outside, but she’s all heart,” Stall said. “She’s an Into Mischief, and they run through brick walls.”

Stall said Andthebandplayedon also will start in the Champions Day Lassie, and that the filly Seaside Candy could face males in the Champions Day Classic since the Champions Day Ladies has been moved to turf this year.

As for the hot start, it might not be confined to one day: During November last year at Fair Grounds, Stall went 6-3-0 with 11 starters.