Warriorscmoutoplay not afraid of a little rain

There are two stakes races carded for turf Saturday at Fair Grounds, but if the local forecast calling for a days-long deluge is anywhere close to accurate, forget about grass racing this weekend in New Orleans.

A move to dirt, though, would be just fine for Warriorscmoutoplay in the $50,000 Big Easy, a female-restricted stakes scheduled for 5 1/2 furlongs on turf. Her trainer, Mike Stidham, entered a horse with grass talent named Zipessa, but for dirt, Warriorscmoutoplay looks like the right one.

The 4-year-old filly has made all 11 of her starts on dirt and hit a career peak last spring and early summer, winning three races in a row, the last of them the $75,000 Jostle at Parx Racing. Warriorscmoutoplay wilted last summer in the south Florida heat, finishing seventh at Gulfstream on July 5 in the Grade 3 Azalea, and a sixth-place comeback finish Feb. 20 in the $100,000 Spring Fever at Oaklawn might throw some of the betting public off the right track.

Breaking slowly from post 2 on an unfamiliar and sometimes tricky racing surface in the Spring Fever, Warriorscmoutoplay dueled on a hot pace before fading to lose by eight lengths in an entirely excusable performance.

“She was down inside,” said Stidham. “She’s more of a stalker, but being inside, she had to be used up on the front, and that took any finish away from her. I think she’ll benefit from that race.”

Warriorscmoutoplay, with James Graham named to ride, has a better draw Saturday in post 6 and can get her preferred trip.

Adrienne G, the tepid 9-2 favorite on the Fair Grounds morning line, is uncertain to run if the Big Easy is rained onto dirt, trainer Bret Calhoun said Thursday, though the mare did win on a sloppy track last fall at Remington. Eden Prairie, who was a closing second to the Stidham-trained Leigh Court in the Mardi Gras Stakes last month, will be scratched if the Big Easy goes on dirt, trainer Neil Pessin said.

The 6-year-old mare Anusara looks like she’ll have a chance on dirt. Anusara has made only 12 starts, spending as much time on the sidelines as in the game, but she’s been first, second, or third in her last five starts dating to last March and appears to handle about any kind of racing surface. She seems likely to be prominent early under Cisco Torres from an inside draw.

The Brad Cox-trained Chiding has won two straight races at this meet – one on turf, one on dirt – but benefitted from easy trips in both starts. Lindisfarne might have a chance in her second start after a long layoff. She finished a close fourth in the Mardi Gras. Warriorscmoutoplay handled her comfortably at Parx, but Lindisfarne had run better than that early last year on Laurel Park’s dirt.

Red Camelia: Short field likely

Only eight Louisiana-bred fillies and mares were entered to race a mile on turf in the $60,000 Red Camelia, and with the race likely to be rained off turf, that field could turn out to be even shorter.

The pick to score a minor upset is Another Pinot, who quietly has been rounding into form for local trainer Andy Leggio. Another Pinot ran dismally in her first two starts at this meet after coming back from a layoff , but she was much more effective last time and ran well twice in dirt-route races on wet-fast tracks last summer at Evangeline Downs.

Discreetly Grand also merits a long look on dirt, while Believeinsomething could wind up loose on the lead if Half Fast Rose, who clearly prefers turf, is scratched.