Treasury Bill looks primed for peak effort
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
NEW ORLEANS – A solid third-level optional $62,500 claiming race for 4-year-olds and up tops a nine-race Super Bowl Sunday card at Fair Grounds. It starts at noon Central, 85 minutes earlier than usual.
Five of the six horses in the 1 1/16-mile feature have earned checks in stakes.
Treasury Bill, who will be making his second start for trainer/owner Louie Roussel III, is coming off a sharp second-place finish in the Diliberto Memorial.
The only stakes winner in the group is Class Leader, who won the Sir Barton last year at Pimlico on the Preakness undercard.
Race 7
KEY CONTENDERS
Treasury Bill (Last 3 Beyers: 94-38-87)
Roussel, who purchased Treasury Bill privately last fall from Gary and Mary West, is Treasury Bill’s third trainer.
In the Diliberto, which was carded for turf but run at 1 1/16 miles on a sloppy main track, Treasury Bill couldn’t catch Grand Contender. He got away with a slow pace and led all the way, but Treasury Bill was nine lengths clear of third-place All Stormy.
“He’s training well,” Roussel said. “He’s had some good half-mile works. I think he can move forward.”
As a 3-year-old in 2013, Treasury Bill finished second in the Grade 2 San Vicente.
Class Leader (Last 3 Beyers: 81-82-86)
After the Sir Barton, Class Leader didn’t race for four months. “He got sick,” trainer Neil Howard said.
Class Leader hasn’t raced since finishing ninth against third-level optional $80,000 claiming rivals in October at Keeneland.
“He’s trained right along,” Howard said. “I think he’s ready for a good effort off the bench.”
Class Leader was 2 for 2 at Fair Grounds last season.
“It’s nice to know that he’s run well over this track, but I don’t look at him as a horse who needs a certain racetrack,” Howard said.
General Ike (Last 3 Beyers: 83-88-83)
As hot as trainer Larry Jones has been at this meet, with a 35 percent win rate through Thursday, General Ike merits a look, and a comfortable, front-running trip appears possible for him. His chances might depend on how much pressure he takes early from Caribbean Storm and Watch My Smoke.