World War steps up in search of fourth straight win in Rosewater

World War will be looking for her fourth consecutive win when she takes on significant shipper Basalt Street in Friday night’s $70,000 Rosewater at Delta Downs.

The race is one of two stakes on the card. Both are restricted to Louisiana-breds who have never won a sweepstakes. The races are for 3-year-olds and up and will be run at 7 1/2 furlongs, which is a two-turn configuration on the six-furlong track at Delta.

The Rosewater, which is for fillies and mares, drew a field of nine. Basalt Street figures to go favored off a stakes-placing last out at Fair Grounds, while World War is moving back into stakes company with a three-race winning streak that started in August.

“It’s a tough race,” said Allen Landry, who trains World War. “She’s going to have to show up.”

World War has done so on a regular basis, taking a $15,000 claiming race on turf in August at Louisiana Downs. She proceeded to win a starter allowance by more than two lengths in October at Delta, then followed the performance up with a 5 1/2-length win in a second-level allowance at Delta on Nov. 18.

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“She’s hot right now,” Landry said. “She’s on top of her game right now. We thought she was mostly grass, but when she got to Delta she took a liking to this racetrack.”

World War won over 7 1/2 furlongs last out at Delta. She won on the front end, just as she did in the starter race.

“I thought maybe when they hook her, maybe she’ll spit it up,” Landry said. “She digs in. She’s got a lot heart.”

World War will break from post 5 on Friday, under Devin Magnon.

“She prefers the front if she can get a little break,” Landry said. “If not, she can sit back a little bit, too.”

World War stalked the pace when she won on turf at Louisiana Downs. The daughter of Declaration of War is owned by her breeders, World War IV Racing.

Basalt Street could be quite prominent. She is stretching out from six furlongs, having contested the pace last out in the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Ladies Sprint on Dec. 9 at Fair Grounds. Basalt Street was second by a nose. It was her first start since July when she was racing at Woodbine.

Timothy Thornton has the mount from post 4 for trainer Gary Scherer.

In the Boyd Rewards earlier on the card, Play Mo should get good support off an allowance win Nov. 9 at Delta. He led throughout to capture a seven-furlong race, which was run around two turns. Also set to start in the 10-horse Boyd Rewards is Oak Hill Lg, a winner of three of his last four starts.

Muffin Nuts, who is first on the also-eligible list, is cross-entered in the sixth race Friday at Delta.

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