Trust Factor ready to reward Maker's patience in Mr. Sulu Stakes

NEW ORLEANS – Trust Factor came into the 2016-2017 Fair Grounds meet lightly raced and obviously talented, but trainer Mike Maker decided to take his time with the Louisiana-bred turf horse.

Rather than jumping straight into stakes, he ran Trust Factor in three allowance races, and Maker’s patience appears to be paying off.

Trust Factor is back at Fair Grounds for another winter, and is the 7-5 morning-line favorite for the $50,000 Mr. Sulu Stakes on Saturday, a prep for the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Turf. Trust Factor, shipping from Kentucky, won and placed in two Louisiana-bred turf stakes this past summer, and probably ran even better Oct. 14 at Keeneland winning a third-level turf allowance race.

Florent Geroux is tasked with working out a trip for Trust Factor, who does his best work on or near the lead, and from post 3 is drawn inside the race’s other speed, Culp’s Hill, Fee Do, and Hail to the Nile.

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Mageez, Extra Credit, and Fort Pulaski are the others to consider. Mageez is bred well enough for grass and has run all right over it, but so far it’s on dirt where he’s shown his best. Still, he put in an eye-catching late run making a long-layoff comeback Oct. 21 at Delta Downs and has a natural closing style that could suit the race shape.

Extra Credit missed the last Fair Grounds meet but twice won on the local course two winters ago, and after a series of disappointing performances races for the first time as a gelding.

“He’s been a playful colt, and maybe now he’ll be a little more focused,” said Rickey Giannini, Fair Grounds assistant to trainer Brad Cox.

Fort Pulaski never has won on grass but has been second or third in five such starts and was second in the 2016 Champions Day Turf here.

Si Cima ripe for upset?

The $50,000 Si Cima for Louisiana-bred fillies and mares at one mile on turf has Inveniam Viam as a 7-2 favorite and Safari Calamari and Don’tmesswithjoanne as 9-2 co-second choices. None has to win, and perhaps Wind Chill Factor can spring an upset.

Wind Chill Factor has done good work before as a one-run closer in Louisiana-bred dirt sprints, but she has found renewed vigor this year since owner-trainer Gary Scherer moved her to turf. Her good grass runs at Arlington came in sprints, but in her lone try around two turns, she wound up leading while racing over a yielding course, conditions that don’t suit the mare.

“The whole family [are] closers and always seemed to run from off the pace,” Scherer said

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Mitchell Murrill breaks Wind Chill Factor from post 1 and will put the mare behind horses and see if she can produce the strong late burst she showed in sprints going this two-turn mile.

“If this was 5 1/2 on turf it’d be better, but being a Louisiana-bred it was a good opportunity,” Scherer said. “I got the post I want, and hopefully Murrill can just gallop around the turns and turn the race into 5 1/2 furlongs in her mind.”

Inveniam Viam left Fair Grounds in roaring form last spring, and the question now is whether she’s gone over the top following a string of peak performances.

“A couple off races can knock the heart out of them a little bit, but hopefully putting her back with Louisiana-breds gets her back again,” said Rickey Giannini, Fair Grounds assistant to trainer Brad Cox.

Heitai wide open

The $50,000 Heitai Stakes over six furlongs lacks anything like a standout: The morning-line 7-2 favorite Eden’s Grey Kitten is a turf horse who failed to make an impact in the lone dirt start of his career. Sir Genghis, who also will take betting, better suits longer races, while deep-closing Grande Basin needs pace help, and might simply need a comeback run to shake off rust.

So consider digging deeper in the Heitai for a horse like Philly. Philly won two of three starts here last winter as a 2-year-old and early season 3-year-old, and after getting sick and requiring time off, he ground out a comeback win at Delta Downs on Nov. 1.

“He won, but we felt like we saw a whole lot more in his day-to-day training than the way he ran,” trainer Al Stall said. “He’s not bouncing off that race. He’s fresh.”