Tasting the Stars auditions for Fair Grounds Oaks

Trainer Mike Stidham demonstrated long ago that he could get a horse ready to win a route race in his or her first start. In fact, over the course of six days last month at Fair Grounds, Stidham had two such winners: Americandy, a colt, on Jan. 19 went from last to first to beat 11 rivals in an off-the-turf maiden race, and on Jan. 13, the filly Tasting the Stars was an easy winner of a maiden race at one mile and 70 yards.

“I’ve always been a believer that horses tend to run more to their pedigree and the way they train,” Stidham said. “I don’t worry about running long first out if I think that’s what they want to do.”

Over the last three years, Stidham’s record with firsters in route races stands at a fine 8-9-7 from 50 starters. But what comes next for these debut winners? In the case of Tasting the Stars, we’ll find out in the fifth race on Friday, when she faces other maiden winners in a first-level allowance restricted to 3-year-old fillies, open to $50,000 claimers, and carded for 1 1/16 miles on dirt.

Tasting the Stars, by Bodemeister and out of Pink Champagne, by Awesome Again, paid $25.60 to win last month but figures to be favored over five foes Friday. Fortunate Girl is listed at 9-5 on the track’s morning line despite bringing almost nothing but turf form into this main-track race, and bettors might bend toward Tasting the Stars’s encouraging race, which yielded a 73 Beyer Speed Figure.

“If she really shows up again,” said Stidham, “we’ll consider the Fair Grounds Oaks for her.”

Those Stidham-trained debut route winners perform solidly when they return for a second start. Over the last five years, 20 runners who fit the classification have gone 3-3-3, albeit with a paltry $0.75 win ROI. The three winners ran back 57, 65, and 47 days after their debuts, which accords with the trainer’s approach.

“I’m pretty careful about not running back too quick,” Stidham said. “Americandy, there was an allowance race back in three weeks for him, and I said, ‘You know what? I’m not going to do it.’ I know they have to work a little bit harder to get it done.”

Tasting the Stars has displayed no negative reaction to her first race. She’s turned in solid work and, Stidham said, could improve her prerace behavior this time. Tasting the Stars “was a little rough in the paddock” last time and didn’t want to let her rider mount, but she’s since been schooled there with an exercise rider and has grown more comfortable.

If you think Tasting the Stars offers negative value and question Fortunate Girl’s dirt chops, Perfect Reins presents an alternative. Trained by Steve Asmussen, Perfect Reins solidly won a maiden dirt route race Dec. 21 and has a good three-race platform from which she might step up.

Race 5 is one of four allowance races on the card, the other three coming on turf, including two divisions (races 4 and 6) of a first-level route allowance. Race 8 is a second-level turf-route allowance restricted to females and open to $40,000 claimers, and this one could come down to La Sola Ranger and Lounge Act. Lounge Act, generally a front-runner in her first five starts, rallied from 11th to finish second Jan. 12 while returning from a nine-month break.

“She put in a great effort off the layoff and should really benefit from that race,” said trainer Brad Cox.

But La Sola Ranger will be tough. She’s been off since May but won last March at Fair Grounds following a five-month layoff, and in her most recent start, she finished second to La Sardane, who returned to win the Grade 3 Intercontinental Stakes.