Take Me Home Too looks to rebound in fillies division of Louisiana Futurity

Louisiana Champions Day at Fair Grounds was supposed to be a coming out party for Take Me Home Too. Instead, it ended up being a head-scratcher. Take Me Home Too was the favorite in the $100,000 Lassie after establishing herself as one of the region’s better 2-year-olds over the summer. But when the real running began in the six-furlong race, she dropped back and ended up finishing eighth of 11.

Take Me Home Too gets a shot at redemption on Friday, when she starts in the $50,000 fillies division of the Louisiana Futurity at Fair Grounds. The race is one of three stakes on the card. The $50,000 Louisiana Futurity for colts and geldings is led by Toro Bravo, while open-company rivals will meet at about a mile on turf in the $60,000 Woodchopper.

Take Me Home Too had come into the Lassie off a series of bullet works, including a six-furlong move in 1:12.40. The training pattern gave her connections reason to be confident heading into the race. After it, they were baffled.

“We were surprised, and obviously very disappointed with the effort,” said Bret Calhoun, who trains Take Me Home Too for JRita Thoroughbreds. “She had trained super. But she scoped bad after the race, had a bad respiratory infection. She had a legitimate excuse, and hopefully, that’s all behind us now.”

Take Me Home Too had established herself as a Louisiana-bred of note in July. She won a maiden special weight sprint by more than six lengths at Louisiana Downs, then backed the effort up one start later in the track’s $50,000 Laurel Lane. Take Me Home Too set the pace and pulled away by 3 1/2 lengths in that sprint, while earning a career-high Beyer Figure of 77. Her connections then freshened her with an eye to Louisiana Champions Day.

Jesse Campbell has the mount on Take Me Home Too. She is part of a seven-horse field that includes Sweet Ruston, who missed by a nose in the Lassie.

Toro Bravo was second in the $100,000 Juvenile on Louisiana Champions Day, his first start in more than five months. He has reason to move forward Friday as he seeks his second career stakes win behind the $115,000 colts and geldings division of the D.S. “Shine” Young Memorial Futurity at Evangeline Downs. Robby Albarado has the mount for trainer Glenn Delahoussaye.

Others set to start in the 10-horse field include multiple stakes winner Fort Hood.

Su Casa G Casa, who won the Juvenile over Toro Bravo, is not eligible for the Louisiana Futurity and is being pointed for the $250,000 Jean Lafitte at Delta Downs on Jan. 14, said his trainer, Calhoun.