Student Body makes auspicious turf debut in Mardi Gras Stakes

Pace-setting Student Body turned back a midstretch challenge from La Dame Blanche and won the $75,000 Mardi Gras Stakes while making her turf debut Tuesday at Fair Grounds.

But any celebration late Mardi Gras afternoon at Fair Grounds was muted by the misfortune that befell Oxford Comma. Oxford Comma, who failed to show her customary early speed, was racing outside and a couple lengths behind the leader when she broke down in her left-front leg between the three-sixteenths and eighth poles. Oxford Comma, trained by Tom Amoss for Sandra New, was vanned off the course and was euthanized because of her injuries, according to Fair Grounds publicity. Jockey Shaun Bridgmohan was thrown from the filly, and though Bridgmohan was ambulatory, he said via text message he was going to the hospital for an examination.

As for Student Body, she knocked out her first stakes win while trying grass for the first time, not only carrying her abundant speed the 5 ½ furlongs of the Mardi Gras but kicking on nicely after La Dame Blanche inched alongside her flank at the furlong grounds. Trained by Chris Davis for Gary Broad, and with Miguel Mena in the irons, Student Body had thrown two powerhouse performances into her eight-race history before the Mardi Gras, and she was at least close to her best on the surface switch Tuesday. After setting splits of 22.57 and 46.55 over a course upgraded from yielding to good during the course of the card, Student Body was timed in 1:04.21, paying a generous $24.80 to win.

La Dame Blanche lost her momentum the final half-furlong but held off Excessivespending by a neck for second. Orecchiette and Sanity were scratched.

Student Body is a 5-year-old mare by Colonel John and out of Stormy Antics, by Stormy Antarctic, and she has very much been an all-or-nothing sort, with her career mark now standing at 9-5-0-0.

* Tenfold finished fourth while making his first start since the 2018 Travers Stakes in the fifth race Tuesday. Winner of the Jim Dandy Stakes and a close third in the Preakness, Tenfold, who lugged in through the final furlong, was beaten less than one length by victorious Exclamation Point in a dirt allowance race over 1 1/16 miles.