Synchrony looking for second Muniz win

At times like this, looking to the comfortable and the familiar is soothing. At Fair Grounds on Saturday, a familiar face will compete for the third straight year in the Grade 2, $300,000 Muniz Memorial, the meet’s championship race for older turf horses. And those who back Synchrony can take comfort in knowing, despite his advancing age, he’s racing at his favorite track and over his favorite course.

Over the past four seasons at Fair Grounds, Synchrony has made six starts on turf, winning four. One of those wins came in the 2018 Muniz. Last year, with absolutely no pace to aid his late kick, he finished third in a race won by Bricks and Mortar, the eventual Horse of the Year.

Now age 7, Synchrony has won just once in his last seven starts. But he comes off a solid second in last month’s prep for this, the Fair Grounds Stakes – which, like the Muniz, is at 1 1/8 miles – and appears to be coming into the Muniz set for a top effort, according to his trainer, Mike Stidham.

“We got a good comeback race in him. He ran well, made up ground late. I was happy with the effort,” Stidham said. “I couldn’t be happier with him.”

To prevail, Synchrony will have to work out a trip from post 12, defeat worthy rivals such as Factor This and Instilled Regard, and perhaps deal with a turf course with some moisture in it.

The National Weather Service forecast for New Orleans is for a 50 percent chance of rain Friday night into Saturday, with showers Saturday morning and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Synchrony likes it firm. Stidham said a bit of rain wouldn’t matter. A lot would.

“He loves that course,” Stidham said. “The course has been on the firm side. He’s won on good at Fair Grounds, but he doesn’t like it real soft or boggy. That’s the only way it would affect us.”

Factor This scored a front-running win over Synchrony in the Fair Grounds Stakes. He could get a similar trip Saturday, the wild card being Secretary At War, who is drawn just to his outside, has contending speed and is adding blinkers.

“He needs to be close,” said Brad Cox, who trains Factor This. “He runs well when he can get his momentum going up the backside.”

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Cox also sends out Dot Matrix, who cuts back in distance after taking the 1 1/2-mile John B. Connally Turf Cup on Jan. 26 at Sam Houston. He is a nose away from being unbeaten in three starts on the Fair Grounds turf, and he drew well, landing the rail.

“I think the cutback is positive, and he likes the Fair Grounds turf course,” Cox said.

Instilled Regard comes off a third-place finish behind the vastly improved Zulu Alpha and globetrotting Magic Wand in the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational on Jan. 25 at Gulfstream Park. He earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 103.

“He looked like a winner at one point. I thought he ran super,” said his trainer, Chad Brown, who said he believes 1 1/8 miles – at which Instilled Regard won the Fort Lauderdale on Dec. 14 – is his best distance.

Brown doubles up with Rockemperor, making his first start since August.

“It’s a good spot to get started. This should set him up for a nice campaign,” Brown said.

Besides Brown and Cox, Norm Casse and Mike Maker have two runners. Casse has Secretary At War as well as course specialist Dontblamerocket, seeking to bounce back from a fifth-place finish in the Fair Grounds Stakes

Maker has Aquaphobia, winner of his lone start for Maker since being claimed in January, and Marzo, third as the favorite in the Connally.

A former Maker trainee, Henley’s Joy, makes his first start for Steve Asmussen.

Grade 1 winner Channel Maker, winner of the Man o’ War last year, cuts back to nine furlongs for the first time since May 2018 for Bill Mott.

The Muniz is race 10 on 12-race card that ends with, and is highlighted by, the Louisiana Derby.

– additional reportingby Marcus Hersh