Trip Notes for March 21-22, 2019: Louisana Derby, Fair Grounds Oaks, and more

Fair Grounds
New Orleans Classic (race 9)

COMMENT: By My Standards was a troubled 12th in last year’s Grade 1 Kentucky Derby and after nine months off came back to romp in an optional claimer here Feb. 9. Back into graded stakes waters here he moved forward further, posting an easy victory. The $150,000 son of Goldencents broke well, was content to sit second chasing pacesetter and stablemate Silver Dust, remained in second while that foe set slow splits, surged past that rival turning for home, quickly opened up and didn’t have a nervous moment thereafter. Captivating Moon, a longshot after finishing fourth in the Grade 3 Mineshaft here Feb. 15, sat back early while wide, remained wide as he bided his time, started a wide run on the far turn, pitched wider out into the lane as he found his top gear and finished well, though he was never a danger to the winner. Chess Chief stalked while wide on the first turn, remained stalking in third just behind the eventual winner, tried to go with that rival turning for home, came in some in the stretch, and couldn’t sustain his run. Silver Dust, coming here in sharp form after winning the Grade 3 Louisiana here Jan. 18 (was later disqualified from purse money) and winning the Grade 3 Mineshaft here Feb. 15 and second in this last year, was rambunctious in the gate, then lunged when the doors opened to get away poorly, recovered quickly and rushed up to take the lead while wide into the first turn, opened up a clear lead while setting modest splits and staying wide, moved toward the inside going to the far turn and on the far turn, was confronted by By My Standards, was no match for that foe and tired in the lane. Fearless, a $725,000 son of Horse of the Year Ghostzapper who won his first two starts at Gulfstream including a romp over optional claimers Feb. 1, stalked as the 9-5 favorite after being in tight early, was a bit rank as he remained stalking while under a hold, seemed to settle some into the backstretch, moved closer while inside on the far turn, moved back off the fence into the lane, brushed with Tenfold, was then in a bit tight and had to check in deep stretch. He wasn’t going to win but the trouble may have cost him a better placing.

Fair Grounds
Muniz Memorial Classic (race 10)

COMMENT: Factor This appears to be a brand new horse as after a romping win in the Grade 3 Fair Grounds here Feb. 15 he more than backed it up here, beating a stronger field and doing so easily, bettering his own course record in the process. As in the Fair Grounds his speed proved lethal as he went right to the lead, took some early pressure from Marzo, soon moved out to a clear lead while setting a solid pace while staying inside, saw Marzo get a bit closer on the turn but blew the race open into the lane, opening up and winning clear. Trainer Brad Cox said that with all that’s going on maybe now was a good time to give the horse a break and target a summer return. Dontblamerocket, fifth in the Fair Grounds after three straight wins including a romp in the Col. Bradley here Jan. 18 (Factor This was third in that race), stalked the pace while saving ground, tried to make a run at the winner turning for home, proved no match but kept on well to hold second. Rockemperor, part of a strong Chad Brown duo and making his first start since a sixth in the Saratoga Derby Aug. 4, lagged well back from the start while under a hold, remained there to the far turn, swung very wide on the turn and into the lane, finished strongly but was never a danger to the winner. Synchrony, winner of this in 2018 and coming off a rallying second to Factor This in the Fair Grounds, sat well back from the start, was still well back turning for home, moved toward the inside in midstretch, finally got going to pass some rivals but was never a factor. Instilled Regard, the other part of the Brown duo and favored off a solid third in the Pegasus World Cup Turf, sat back, made headway turning for home as if ready to be a threat but his run never came. Channel Maker, a Grade 1 winner and coming off a fourth in the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida at Gulfstream Feb. 29, sat midpack from the start, got pushed out wide on the far turn, was pushed back toward the inside some by a drifting-in Rockemperor as that rival went past, moved back toward the outside in the lane but was unable to get involved. Henley’s Joy, seventh in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf at Gulfstream Jan. 25, sat back while a rank and under a hold early, saved ground, continued inside to the top of the lane but came up empty.

Fair Grounds
Fair Grounds Oaks (race 11)

COMMENT: This was viewed by many as possible confirmation Finite may be the leading 3-year-old filly in the land as she’d won five straight including the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra here Feb. 15, but she looked nothing like that filly, ending up a tiring fourth. Instead, it was Bonny South, coming off a game rallying optional-claiming win at Oaklawn Feb. 15 who prevailed. She was away slowly to be last early as longshot French Rose set a modest pace under pressure from Stop Shoppin Tammy, remained last to the far turn, swung wide on the turn to start her run, wider still into the lane to continue her run and powered home outside the leaders to blow past and draw clear. Tempers Rising, third to Finite in the Silverbulletday here Jan. 18 and fourth to Finite in the Rachel Alexandra, bobbled at the start to get away poorly, was content to lag back while wide, with only the eventual winner behind her, came with a smart wide run on the far turn to get into the mix, continued on smartly to grab the lead by the furlong pole but had no answer when the winner blew past to her outside. Antoinette, winner of an off-the-turf stakes at Aqueduct Dec. 5, sat behind the leaders while saving ground, had to steady behind a wall of horses turning for home, found a lane between horses and finished well to edge Finite to her inside for third, though she was no threat to the winner. Finite, the overwhelming favorite, got a dream trip stalking the pace in the clear a few lanes off the rail, moved up nicely on the far turn to challenge outside the two leaders, took the lead from those rivals into the lane while three wide, shifted toward the inside as Tempers Rising went past to her outside and then tired enough to lose third in the final strides. Considering she ran so big in the Rachel Alexandra this may have been a case of her bouncing like a rubber ball.

Fair Grounds
Louisiana Derby (race 12)

COMMENT: Wells Bayou set the pace and stayed on well to be a good second in the Grade 3 Southwest at Oaklawn Feb. 17. The son of Lookin At Lucky again used his speed and took up his game as he smartly led his rivals on a merry chase in what was something of a parade. He shot right out to a clear lead, taking some pressure from Ny Traffic and Mailman Money, set a modest pace with those two in pursuit, saw Ny Traffic come up to his outside hip on the far turn as Mailman Money fell away on the rail, rebuffed Ny Traffic into the lane, opened up again and held sway to the line. Ny Traffic, third in a division of the Grade 2 Risen Star here Feb. 15, dogged the winner from the start, moved up to that rival’s outside hip on the far turn, tried to challenge the eventual winner on the turn, could not keep pace while drifting out some in the lane, staying on decently to be a clear second. Modernist, winner of a division of the Risen Star, sat fourth a few lanes off the rail, remained there to the far turn, took up the chase turning for home while moving wider out into the lane, plugging along for third while never a danger to the top two. Major Fed, second to Modernist and a neck ahead of Ny Traffic in that same division of the Risen Star, was away slowly to be last early, remained last while quite wide, remained wide as he started a run turning for home, was widest of all as he passed rivals in a fine try considering his poor start and the race shape. Enforceable, tepid favorite after a rallying second in a division of the Risen Star, was devoid of speed, as is his want, to be well back early, remained well back to the far turn, started to make progress while wide, remained wide into the lane, dropped back toward the inside and kept on steadily, though he was never a threat. Silver State, third just behind Enforceable in a division of the Risen Star after rallying for second to Enforceable in the Grade 3 Lecomte here Jan. 18, sat eighth early while under a hold, lost some position early down the backstretch while toward the inside, was urged to get going between horses into the lane but was unable threaten. Royal Act, a $500,000 son of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah and coming off a sharp second to then-unbeaten Thousand Words in the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis at Santa Anita Feb. 1, sat midpack while wide, remained there down the backstretch, was urged to get closer into the far turn while wide, made a bit of progress but then gave way. Lynn’s Map, a bit troubled when sixth in the division of the Risen Star where Modernist, Major Fed and Ny Traffic filled the trifecta, was midpack early while very wide into the first turn, remained there while still wide to the far turn but came up empty turning for home.

Santa Anita
San Simeon (race 5)

COMMENT: Originally scheduled for March 14 but was moved to this day after severe storms hit Southern California that week. Cistron looked on his way to being a potential player in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint last spring/summer when a big winner of the Grade 2 Kona Gold here and smart winner of the Grade 1 Bing Crosby at Del Mar. Alas, a setback nixed his Breeders’ Cup plans. The son of The Factor came back smartly here. He first came to prominence on turf so it was no surprise he handled this footing so well. He broke well, stalked in third saving ground right behind the mare Surrender Now who set a solid pace, remained there as 1-2 favorite Bound for Nowhere was ahead of him to his outside, pressing Surrender Now, came off the inside into the lane to go after leader Bound for Nowhere and finished resolutely outside that rival to get the decision. Bound for Nowhere, in his first start since a dazzling optional-claiming win on Belmont turf Oct. 25, got squeezed back a bit at the start, still had the speed to dog pacesetter Surrender Now to her outside, took over from that rival into the lane, was soon engaged Cistron to his outside, fought on gamely but wasn’t quite good enough. Murad Khan lagged back, remained well back into the lane, found his top gear late toward the inside in the lane and finished well, though he was no danger to the top two. Voodoo Song, a Grade 1 turf route winner in New York and trying a sprint for his first start for hew trainer Dick Mandella, was away a bit slowly, chased while saving ground, came off the inside to go between horses in deep stretch but had to steady when in tight, though it probably didn’t cost him a position. He not only might have needed this race but this distance may be a tad sharp for him, at least against this caliber.

Santa Anita
San Luis Rey (race 7)

COMMENT: Ward ‘n Jerry continued his ascent since being gelded as the 7-year-old notched his first stakes win. He was a sharp third in the Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup at this same 1 1/2-mile trip, then second in the Unusual Heat Turf Classic (for Cal-breds) here Jan. 18 at a trip probably short of his best (1 1/8 miles). Here he stalked in third as longshot Go for a Ride set a slow pace, remained there to the far turn, moved up with Ashleyluvssugar to challenge for the lead turning for home, got the better of that foe, opened up into the lane as Camino Del Paraiso chased and kept that rival at bay to the line. Nice as this was it sure helped United, who certainly is the top dog in the turf distance division, was not in here (was to go in the now-canceled Group 1 Dubai Sheema Classic March 28). Camino Del Paraiso, another 7-year-old and one who was trying this distance for the first time after a nice second in the Grade 3 Thunder Road at a mile here Feb. 8 (to River Boyne, who came back to win the Grade 1 Kilroe Mile here), sat fifth from the start, not far behind the eventual winner, crept closer to be just behind that rival turning for home, tried to go with that foe into the lane, couldn’t quite keep pace but kept to his task well to be a clear second, not bad considering the step up in class and that it was his first time going this far. Oscar Dominguez, the favorite after a win in the Hollywood Turf Cup and rallying third in the Grade 2 San Marcos here Feb. 1, lagged back ahead of just one horse from the start, remained toward the back to the far turn, came with a nice run to reach contention into the lane, doggedly kept after the top two but couldn’t get to them. Swamp Souffle, stepping up in class after a romping starter allowance win going 10 furlongs on dirt here Feb. 29, stalked in fourth, was still in the mix turning for home but was one-paced in the lane and no threat to the top three. Ashleyluvssugar, the 9-year-old who once ruled this division out West but now hasn’t won since 2018, sat second behind the longshot pacesetter, moved up to press that foe going to the far turn, got the better of that tiring rival turning for home as he took a narrow lead between horses, but came up empty in the lane. It looks as though Father Time has caught up this terrific ol’ warrior. In fact, it was reported Sunday the millionaire had been retired.