The National Thoroughbred Racing Association's Safety and Integrity Alliance has accredited Fair Grounds Race Course and Slots in New Orleans, according to the organization and the track.
Fair Grounds is the fourth and last track owned by Churchill Downs Inc. to be accredited by the alliance, which launched its accreditation program earlier this year. Churchill also owns Churchill Downs in Louisville, Calder Race Course in Florida, and Arlington Park outside of Chicago.
Who knows what the horse beat, or how many of his foes disliked a sloppy racetrack, but 2-year-old colt Bravo Whiskey sure was visually impressive winning his career debut in Monday's seventh race at Fair Grounds. A Smart Strike colt trained by Neil Howard, Bravo Whiskey raced in midpack before moving up before the quarter pole in the six-furlong race. Once jockey Curt Bourque moved him out for the stretch run, Bravo Whiskey quickly collared the leaders, and came home strongly to win by six lengths.
A bay 3-year-old filly by Medaglia d'Oro is expected to start on Saturday at Fair Grounds. She has some white on her head, and is out of a mare by the stallion Roar. Her breeder entered her in a Keeneland sale, but instead wound up taking her home and racing her with success.
Those characteristics all apply to a horse named Rachel Alexandra, but Rachel is not the horse in question here. This is She's Our Annie, who may be favored to win the $60,000 Esplanade on Saturday, one of nine stakes on the Fair Grounds card.
Friesan Fire was nominated to Sunday's Tenacious Stakes, but he's sure not starting in the race, trainer Steve Asmussen said Wednesday. At this point, Asmussen would just like to get a work in Friesan Fire, who hasn't breezed since he finished third on Dec. 3 in his allowance-race comeback from a long layoff.
Asmussen said he won't work a horse after a day of walking, and because training was canceled both Sunday and Tuesday at Fair Grounds, Friesan Fire has walked twice this week.
"He'll probably work Sunday or something," Asmussen said. "We missed so many days."
Jockey Tyler Baze, who has not ridden since Nov. 15 after undergoing hand surgery in mid-November, is on schedule to return for Santa Anita's opening day of the winter-spring meeting on Dec. 26, his agent, Ron Ebanks, said Wednesday.
Baze is expected to resume working horses Monday, Ebanks said. For the opening-day program, Baze has mounts in the two Grade 1 $300,000 races for 3-year-olds - Papa Clem in the Malibu Stakes and Carlsbad in the La Brea Stakes for fillies.
Harissa, winner of a maiden special weight race over 1 1/16 miles on Nov. 19, will make her stakes debut in Sunday's Grade 1 Hollywood Starlet, trainer David Hofmans said Wednesday.
Harissa is part of an expected field of eight for the Starlet, which is run over 1 1/16 miles. Beautician and Blind Luck, second and third in the BC Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita on Nov. 6, lead the field, which also is expected to include Amen Hallelujah, Bickersons, It Tiz, Miss Heather Lee, and Suzanne.
By the time the field reached the top of the stretch in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita on Nov. 7, Jordan Blair, the assistant trainer for Kenneth McPeek, was convinced he was standing in the right spot.
Blair watched the race near the winner's circle and loved that Noble's Promise was near the front when the field turned for home. Things were still going well at the eighth pole, with Noble's Promise leading by a length, but he could not sustain the rally and faded to finish third, beaten a half-length by Vale of York.
