FAIR GROUNDS NOTES: THIRD HORSE TESTS POSITIVE FOR EQUINE HERPES AT FAIR GROUNDS

By Michael Adolphson,
Brian Spencer —-

NEW ORLEANS (January 1, 2017) – A third horse has tested positive for equine herpes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. The horse, trained by Mike Stidham, resides in Barn 36 and contracted EHV-1 non-neurogenic type, also called “wild type” strain. This strain is different than the strain of EHV-1 that has affected two horses in Barn 14 in the previous week. The infected horse has been isolated from the rest of the backstretch population in a different area than the previously isolated horse due to the differing strains.

The positive test from Barn 36 does not affect the currently mandated quarantine of Barn 14, and that barn’s 14-day quarantine period continues as-is. Fair Grounds officials continue to monitor the situation closely under the guidance of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and the USDA, and continue to follow all protocols as directed by those two governing bodies.

At this time, under the direction of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture, the quarantine continues to have no impact on horses shipping out or shipping in for races as long as they arrive with proper vaccination documents. All horses shipping in will be required to use the Belfort Street entrance.

MO TOM AND FOREVAMO IMPRESS IN FIRST WORKS BACK

Two high-profile locally based sophomores of 2015, G M B Racing’s Mo Tom and Brittlyn Stable’s Forevamo returned from lengthy layoffs to both post their first works back on Saturday morning at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. Both sons of Uncle Mo competed in the Grade II Risen Star Stakes and Grade II Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby and worked three furlongs over the main track.

Tom Amoss-trained Mo Tom, the beaten favorite in the Louisiana Derby, had not been seen since finishing fifth as the 8-5 favorite in September’s Grade III Super Derby. Campaigned by the Benson family of New Orleans Saints and Pelicans ownership, the leggy dark bay went out in the first set at 5:30 a.m. under regular morning rider Mario Garcia and worked in a smart 37 flat.

“It went well,” Amoss said. “It’s a first breeze back since taking time off and was an easy three-eighths. He moved well over the track and it was nice to watch.”

A winner of four of 10 starts, Mo Tom owns three stakes victories, including the Listed $500,000 Ohio Derby and Grade III Lecomte Stakes as a 3-year-old. A late-running type, he has been the victim of traffic issues in the Risen Star (third), Louisiana Derby (fourth) and Grade I Kentucky Derby (eighth) and may be due some good luck in his 4-year-old campaign.

Forevamo, owned by the locally lauded Benoit family of Houma, Louisiana, is an Al Stall, Jr.-trained half-brother to champion Musical Romance and multiple Group III-winner Vuelve Ruben M., who was Group I-placed in Puerto Rico and won 24 of 37 starts. Unseen since finishing sixth in the Grade II West Virginia Derby in August, the good-looking bay colt worked his three furlongs just after the break at 8:00 a.m. under rider Scott Orm in 38 flat.

“It was nice,” Stall said. “Everything was fine, nice and smooth. He’s a class horse. He came down the the lane and around the turn in 38 flat and it was perfect.”

A winner of two of 10 who has finished second four times – including in the Risen Star and Grade III Pat Day Mile – Forevamo won the Listed $200,000 Jean Lafitte Stakes to break his maiden as a juvenile.

SHAKEN MAY HEAD TO STAKES

Mark Stansell’s homebred Shaken impressed onlookers Saturday afternoon when returning from a 10-month layoff to win a first-level allowance going a mile and a sixteenth on Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots’ main track. The daughter of Uncle Mo was making just her third career start, but first for veteran conditioner Morris Nicks, who took over training the sizable bay filly from Mike Stidham three months ago.

Breaking alertly under Brian Hernandez, Jr., Shaken was keen and went straight to the front – something she had not done in her two previous outings – and set comfortable fractions before being headed by Tracy Farmer’s Mike Maker-trained Sardinia. After being engaged at the quarter-pole, Shaken was relentless from the inside, battling back the length of the stretch and finally asserting herself by a neck in the final yards.

“She’s never been on the lead but she broke sharply,” Hernandez said. “She is talented enough of a filly to have made the lead pretty easily, so I let her gallop. That filly came up on the outside and she wouldn’t let her win. She’s very game and the two of them really ran home the last three-eighths.”

A sharp winner at first asking last year going six furlongs, Shaken was stepped up considerably in both class and trip into the Grade II Rachel Alexandra Stakes, gamely gutting out a third-place finish after a mid-pack move. Saturday’s effort came on the strength of a steady stream of local works.

“We’re going to look at the (Grade III $150,000 Bayakoa) Stakes at Oaklawn (on Feb. 18) if she comes out okay or maybe an allowance,” Stansell said. “The Oaklawn race is six weeks away from this, which I like.”

Shaken is the sixth winner from seven foals to race for the Seattle Slew mare Seattle Shimmer, a daughter of Grade II Beaumont Stakes winner Golden Gale. Her best runner to date is three-time Grade II-placed Sway Away, a son of Afleet Alex who excelled at seven furlongs to a mile before becoming a California stallion.

STAKES HORSES APLENTY ON WEEKEND WORK TAB

In addition to Forevamo and Mo Tom, the tab was full of stakes horses this weekend. Easily the highest profile was a horse who conquered both of those Uncle Mo offspring, Winchell Thoroughbreds’ Gun Runner. A recent Grade I winner, the Grade II Louisiana Derby winner showed some lick working five furlongs in 1:00.80 for Steve Asmussen. Three-time stakes winner Bayerd worked a half-mile in 48.80 for owner Clark O. Brewster and the 13-time leading local trainer. For the same conditioner, Jerry Durant’s swift Holy Boss, a Grade II winner who was fourth in 2015’s Grade I Breeders’ Cup Sprint, went a half-mile in 50 flat.

Richard Klein and Bertram Klein’s multiple graded stakes winner Cash Control worked a half-mile in 51.20 for trainer Brad Cox. The meet’s current leading conditioner also sent out GenStar Thoroughbreds’ local favorite and multiple graded stakes winner Chocolate Ride and Steve Landers Racing’s Grade II-placed Dazzling Gem to go the same distance in 50.60 and 49.60, respectively. Green Mask, a local stakes winner last out who is eyeing a return trip to Dubai for the Group I $1,000,000 Al Quoz Sprint in late March, worked his half-mile for Cox in 48.40. Western Reserve, who bested stablemate Chocolate Ride last out in the $75,000 Diliberto Memorial, was quickest of Cox’s stakes horses, working in 48.20.

DARRS, Inc.’s Proforma, who impressed when taking the $75,000 Sugar Bowl Stakes on Dec. 17, worked a half-mile in a sharp 48.40 for defending champion trainer Mike Stidham. Multiple stakes-winning turf sprinter Rapid Rhythm, who was recently privately sold by DARRS, Inc. to Robert S. Evans and kept in the care of Stidham, worked five furlongs in 1:02.20.