Fair Grounds

Hall of Famer Rachel Alexandra carried the famed burgundy and gold silks of Stonestreet Farm to six victories, four of which were Grade Is, including the GI Preakness S. and GI Woodward S. So, it was only fitting that another filly carrying the colors of Barbara Banke's operation, Clairiere (Curlin), won that Horse of the Year's namesake Grade II race at the Fair Grounds Saturday. The event, which produced GI Kentucky Oaks winners in 2018 and 2019, offered 50 points towards this year's run for the lillies. Clairiere rallied strongly...

Maxfield (Street Sense) may as well be known as the comeback kid at this point in his career, which has been plagued by injury and misfortune, but he always comes back swinging. Saturday's GIII Mineshaft S. at the Fair Grounds was no exception as the Godolphin homebred scored another good-looking win, taking his perfect record to five-for-five with his second straight win since undergoing surgery for a condylar fracture this summer. Hammered down to 3-5 favoritism against an overmatched field, Maxfield was antsy in the gate and hopped at the...

Carribean Caper (f, 3, Speightstown--Checkupfromzneckup, by Dixie Union) kicked off Saturday's loaded GII Risen Star S. card with a 'TDN Rising Star' performance in the lid lifter at Fair Grounds. The 3-1 chance broke sharply and forced the issue on the outside from second through an opening quarter in :22.24 over the "good" going. Always traveling like the winner, she poked her head in front approaching the quarter pole, and with a shake or two of the reins from Colby Hernandez, took off in a flash to win going away...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency PRICEY FROSTED FILLY DEBUTS IN NOLA 3rd-FG, $60K, Msw, 3yo, f, 6f, 2:02p.m. CHIONE (Frosted), a $425,000 KEESEP acquisition, makes her career bow in this spot. The gray is a half-sister to Grade I-winning millionaire Hard Aces (Hard Spun) and MSW & GSP Astrollinthepark (Divine Park). TJCIS PPs EXPENSIVE 'PHAROAH' COLT LOOKS TO OPEN ACCOUNT AT FG 5th-FG, $60K, Msw, 3yo, 1 1/16mT, 3:05p.m. Louie Roussel unveils a pricey son of American Pharoah in GLOBAL EMPIRE, a $500,000 KEESEP buy. The chestnut hails from the...

The top four finishers from the GIII Lecomte S. Jan. 16 take their next steps down the GI Kentucky Derby trail Saturday in the GII Risen Star S. at Fair Grounds. A $525,000 KEESEP buy, Lecomte winner Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow) was second in the GIII Iroquois S. at Churchill in September and was third in Belmont's GI Champagne S. in October. The bay took the field wire-to-wire in the Lecomte, besting Proxy (Tapit) by a length. "I think the distance is right in his wheelhouse and we're excited about running...

The expensive Travel Column (Frosted) and regally bred Clairiere (Curlin), who finished one-two in the GII Golden Rod S., face off again Saturday at Fair Grounds in the GII Rachel Alexandra S., presented by Fasig-Tipton, which offers 50 points towards the GI Kentucky Oaks. Tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' after an impressive score in her career bow sprinting at Churchill Sept. 4, the $850,000 FTSAUG purchase was third when trying two turns for the first time in Keeneland's GI Darley Alcibiades S. Oct. 2. The gray was last seen rallying to...

Looking at the morning-line and past performances, the GIII Mineshaft S. looks like a one-horse race and that horse is the undefeated Maxfield (Street Sense), who towers over the rest of the field. A debut winner at Churchill in September 2019, the Godolphin homebred romped in the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity S. a month later. The early favorite heading into that year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, he was forced to withdraw from contention just days before the race due to an ankle chip. Returning to action with a late-rallying score...

Due to severe weather conditions in the New Orleans area prior to the start of Thursday's races, Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots canceled their nine-race card. Live racing will resume Friday afternoon with a traditional 1 p.m. CT post time and a nine-race card.

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency PRICEY INTO MISCHIEF DEBUTS IN NOLA 8th-FG, $50K, Msw, 3yo, 5 1/2fT, 5:23p.m. Tom Amoss unveils an expensive daughter of red hot sire Into Mischief in NATALIE WOULD, a $500,000 EASMAY purchase following a :21 3/5 breeze. The bay is a daughter of GSP Global Hottie (Dixie Chatter). Bret Jones homebred Quality of Mercy (Summer Front) also debuts in this spot. The bay is a half-sister to GISW Summer Soiree (War Front) and her dam is a half-sister to MGSW & GISP Mil Kilates (Gold...

B. Wayne Hughes's Spendthrift Farm has acquired a 50% ownership interest in graded stakes winner Keepmeinmind (Laoban). The 3-year-old colt was second behind Essential Quality (Tapit) in the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity and third behind that subsequent champion in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile before concluding his 2-year-old campaign with a win in the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. He currently sits second on the GI Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 18 points. "We are delighted to be a part of such an exciting young racehorse as Keepmeinmind, and thankful to...

There is quite a lot of marriage material in the name and family of 3-year-old winning filly Postnup (f, 3, Declaration of War--I'm Engaged, by Broken Vow). Is the proposal of a "postnup" somehow related to a declaration of war? Hopefully not. According to Google a "postnup" is "a legally binding contract--entered during the marriage, as opposed to a prenup--that spells out who gets what portion of specified assets and how liabilities are shared in the event of a divorce." So it is more like a treaty, and treaties, among...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency The most expensive yearling and second-priciest progeny overall of superstar sire Quality Road to sell in 2019, FIND NEW ROADS, will open his account in this New Orleans dirt sprint Thursday afternoon. Hammering to Tom Durant for $950,000 at Keeneland September, the bay is out of a daughter of GSW Welcome Surprise (Seeking the Gold), herself a half-sister to dual champion and legendary super-sire A.P. Indy (Seattle Slew) as well as Classic winner Summer Squall (Storm Bird). Trained by Bret Calhoun, Find New Roads shows...