Weather could impact Red Camelia Stakes

Is Too won a dirt race last summer at Evangeline Downs by 18 lengths. Capable as she has been on dirt, Is Too appears to be considerably better on turf, and if the $60,000 Red Camelia Stakes remains on grass Saturday at Fair Grounds, she’s likely to win it.

If, though, is a powerful two-letter word, and with an 80 percent chance of rain Thursday night and 60 percent Friday and Friday night in New Orleans, whether Is Too gets her preferred surface is an open question.

Trained by Eddie Johnston for Barrone Farms, Is Too is a 4-year-old Louisiana-bred filly by Midshipman who only got a look on turf while making her eighth career start this past December at Fair Grounds. There, Is Too drew off to win a second-level, Louisiana-bred allowance race by more than six lengths, validating her grass fondness when returned to the Fair Grounds turf course for another statebred-restricted allowance on Feb. 23, which she won by more than four lengths.

Alas, all this is far too obvious, and Is Too, despite making her stakes debut Sunday, is listed as the 9-5 morning-line favorite.

Dontmesswithjoanne won this race by more than two lengths a year ago, but circumstances are far different for the mare this time. Dontmesswithjoanne hasn’t raced since May and starts for the first time since being transferred from the barn of Brad Cox to trainer Robertino Diodoro. Bermuda Star came into this Fair Grounds meet on a turf-racing roll but has turned in two one-paced grass performances over the winter and was soundly beaten by Is Too in their common last start.

Is Too can’t be ruled out if the Red Camelia, carded at 1 1/16 miles and restricted to Louisiana-bred females, is rained onto the main track, but Hyper Piper and Special Blessing rate slightly higher on dirt.

The program also includes two second-level turf allowance races and a first-level turf-route allowance restricted to 3-year-old fillies and open to $50,000 claimers. Among the entrants here is Desert Ride, a Sam-Son Farms Ontario homebred who made it into Daily Racing Form’s Queen’s Plate winter book and has a fast-closing debut win and a solid second-place finish at this level for trainer Neil Howard during the Fair Grounds meet.