Two contentious divisions of the Richard Scherer Memorial

The first open filly-and-mare turf stakes at this Fair Grounds meet has the same dynamic as last season. Namely, the horses are too good for the purse – and there are a whole lot of them.

In fact, the Richard Scherer Memorial Stakes drew so many female turf sprinters that Fair Grounds split the race into two $50,000 divisions: Race 4 (2:34 p.m. Central) has 10 entrants, and race 8 (4:35) has 11.

Both splits of the 5 1/2-furlong race are stocked with horses who wouldn’t be out of place in graded stakes, but the shape of the two races could be much different. Race 4 seems loaded with early-pace types, while race 8 could unfold at a slower tempo.

Triple Chelsea, 7-2 on the morning-line for the first division, would benefit if multiple horses run hard for the lead into and around the race’s one turn. Claimed for $62,500 two starts ago by owner Brad Grady and trainer Joe Sharp (Team Girvin, you’ll recall), Triple Chelsea was second by a head in an Oct. 20 Keeneland allowance race of comparable quality to the Scherer. Still just a 4-year-old, she’s already a turf-sprint stakes winner, and with only six starts going short on grass, she still might have a touch of upside.

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Chanteline’s ceiling in turf races is even less fixed. A solid high-allowance type on dirt, Chanteline finished seventh after contesting the pace when tried on turf at Saratoga this past summer in the $100,000 Smart N Fancy Stakes, but it was her close fourth behind Triple Chelsea last out at Keeneland that was the eye-catching performance.

Chanteline, a confirmed front-runner, broke in the air, still was last of 12 around the turn, and had two horses beat at the stretch call. She gained six lengths from there and wound up fourth in a race that hinted at untapped turf talent.

Excessivespending also rates a strong chance. Both of her turf sprints on firm going were good enough to put her in the mix here.

Rapid Rhythm is part of the race 8 field, and if she loses, it would be the first time in six Fair Grounds grass starts that the mare has met defeat. Last season at Fair Grounds, Rapid Rhythm won the Battle of New Orleans and the Mardi Gras stakes, both turf sprints, but she’s since made only three starts without approaching her best form for trainer Mike Stidham.

Nobody’s Fault was a turf-sprint stakes winner earlier this year in Kentucky and has run well before on the Fair Grounds course. She has a strong chance, perhaps at odds lower than her 5-1 morning line, while price shot Nite Delite merits a second chance as the potential controlling speed while making her first start for trainer Bret Calhoun.