Fair Grounds

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 2nd-FG, $75K, Msw, 3yo, 6f, 1:30 p.m. Closing weekend at the Fair Grounds includes a pair of important maiden races on Saturday, as Juddmonte homebred CASTLEWARDEN (Into Mischief) heads to post four under Lasix as the morning line 5-2 favorite. Trained by Brad Cox and with the services of Florent Geroux, he is a full-brother to GII Pat O'Brien S. victor Laurel River. Castlewarden's dam Calm Water (Empire Maker) is a full-sister to MGISW Emollient, who herself has produced French GSW Raclette (GB) (Frankel {GB})...

First Mission (c, 3, Street Sense--Elude, by Medaglia d'Oro), a strong second on debut behind his highly regarded Brad Cox-trained stablemate Bishops Bay (Uncle Mo) with a gaudy 96 Beyer sprinting at Fair Grounds Feb. 18, ran to the money as the 1-5 favorite with a 'TDN Rising Star' performance in his two-turn debut in New Orleans Saturday. Fractious in the gate, the Godolphin homebred shot out to front and bobbled slightly shortly after the start. The blinkered dark bay recovered nicely and tracked in the garden spot in second....

After running the first race, the decision was made to cancel the rest of Friday's card at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots due to inclement weather. Live racing will resume on Saturday, Mar. 18 with nine races scheduled to begin at the regular post time of 1:15 p.m. CT.

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 10th-SA, $67K, Msw, 3yo, f, 6 1/2f, 8:01 p.m. The first of a pair of Juddmonte fillies racing for Bob Baffert, PLEASANT (Munnings) is the latest filly to make the races out of Fair Lady (Medaglia d'Oro), herself a daughter of GISW Honest Lady (Seattle Slew) making her a half to GISW First Defense (Unbridled's Song), SW & GSP Honest Mischief (Into Mischief), SW Phantom Rose (Danzig), and SW Honest Quality (Elusive Quality). Pleasant's third dam is none other than Toussaud (El Gran Senor), the...

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar. First Mission (c, 3, Street Sense--Elude, by Medaglia d'Oro) earned a gaudy 96 Beyer Speed Figure sprinting on debut on the GII Risen Star S. undercard at Fair Grounds Feb. 18. And he didn't even get his picture taken. The Triple Crown-nominated Godolphin homebred fell three-quarters of a length short to his highly touted and Brad Cox-trained stablemate Bishops Bay (Uncle Mo) in a very live-looking, six-furlong...

It continues to be a strange year on the road to the GI Kentucky Oaks. It's been a division where no one seemed ready to step to the front and become a clear leader of the group. That, sort of, changed Sunday in the GIII Santa Ysabel S. Sunday at Santa Anita. Faiza (Girvin) stayed undefeated in four starts with a 2 1/4-length win and, under normal circumstances, would have gone to No. 1 on this list. But the filly, who is trained by Bob Baffert and owned by Michael...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at the success of European-based sires in North America, on a semi-weekly basis. This column (Feb. 26-Mar. 5) is highlighted by the victory of Gold Phoenix in the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile S. at Santa Anita on Saturday, Mar. 4. One of several Europeans to cause a stir Stateside on Saturday, Gold Phoenix (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) became the first top-level winner for his sire with a neck victory in the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile S. (video). Offered by co-breeder/owner...

Due to severe storms, high winds, power outages and flight cancelations in Kentucky, Saturday's scheduled "New Vocations Day at the Races" event at Fair Grounds has been postponed and rescheduled for Thursday, Mar. 23. Despite their efforts, Mother Nature thwarted travel plans to New Orleans from Kentucky on Friday and early Saturday morning for both retired jockey and racehorse advocate Rosie Napravnik and New Vocations' executive director Anna Ford, and the decision was made to postpone the event. "We are disappointed that we had to postpone the event, but happy...

Insights, sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 4th-GP, $84K, Msw, 3yo, 7f, post time: 12:27 p.m. ET Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg and Gandharvi LLC's ILLUSTRATED (Justify) was led out unsold when bidding stalled out at $290,000 at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale. The blaze-faced bay made the decision to retain him look that much better when selling for $1.1 million at last year's Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale after breezing an eighth of a mile in :10 flat despite jumping the shadows of the sixteenth pole and of floodlights...

In a field including six first-time starters, Squire Creek (Uncle Mo) proved much the best, scampering home a six-length winner over the well-related 4-5 choice Wicked Again (Gun Runner) in the six-furlong contest at Fair Grounds Thursday. Off the blocks alertly, the 5-2 second choice vied for the early lead with the well-related Wicked Again through opening fractions of :21.65 and :44.92. Head-to-head with that rival turning for home, the $525,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga graduate edged ahead in early stretch and blasted clear late en route to an easy victory. A...

On Saturday, Mar. 4, retired jockey and horse advocate Rosie Napravnik will be on site at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots to spearhead the third annual "New Vocations Day at the Races." A four-time local riding champion who was instrumental in the opening of the New Vocations facility in Covington, Louisiana, Napravnik will join host Joe Kristufek on the live feed during the racing day to help build awareness, promote success stories and inspire donations for Thoroughbred aftercare. "I am elated to be having our third annual New Vocations...

8th-FG, $50k, Msw, 3yo, 6f, 5:45 p.m. ET WICKED AGAIN (Gun Runner), a full-brother to MGSW and last term's GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint third-place finisher Wicked Halo, kicks off his career for Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen. The Winchell Thoroughbreds homebred, drawn on the inside in post two and favored on the morning line at 5-2, fired back-to-back, five-furlong bullets for this, including a 1:00 2/5 (1/8) drill Feb. 21. Wicked Again's dam Just Wicked (Tapit) won the 2015 GII Adirondack S. at Saratoga. The field of...