Fair Grounds Barn Notes: Stall on Top After Four-Bagger Opening Day

By Michael Adolphson —-

• Much Trouble Impresses Amoss
• Daughter of Ashado Tops ‘Black Friday’ 2-Year-Old Maiden

STALL ON TOP AFTER FOUR-BAGGER OPENING DAY

Trainer Al Stall Jr. went into Opening Day with the best chance to have a big day and his barn succeeded in such by taking four of the day’s 10 races, including a 1-2 finish in Louisiana-bred 2-year-old allowance company to cap their day in race nine. Icing on the cake came later when Great Minds won a Delta Downs allowance, giving the operation five wins from the six races at three tracks on Saturday afternoon. At Fair Grounds, Stall won four of the five races in which his charges competed.

“Everything needed to fall into place and it did,” Stall said. “I was really happy to see the maidens run the way they did because they’re the non-proven horses. I’m happy with how My Miss Chiff came back. She’s a real trier and doesn’t need a race off a layoff. I was happy with how she did it.
Whether she can do that in three weeks down the road is always a worry, but she doesn’t give me the feel of a horse who can’t.

“Most of them will go to (Louisiana) Champions Day,” Stall continued. “Since we have some redundancy in the colt and filly divisions, we will try and manage them appropriately”.

In addition to the aforementioned allowance, two debuting Brittlyn Stable-owned Louisiana-bred juveniles by Star Guitar won their debuts in consecutive races (7 and 8) — filly Minit to Stardom and colt Divine Bean — and My Miss Chiff impressively annexed the Happy Ticket Stakes (race 4) over fellow graded stakes-placed Wheatfield.

MUCH TROUBLE IMPRESSES AMOSS

The first open 2-year-old maiden of the 2017-18 Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots turned out to be a turbulent affair on Saturday’s Opening Day. Won via disqualification by Midwest Thoroughbreds’ Tom Amoss-trained Much Trouble, said experienced just that throughout his race, including when first-time starter Late Nite Mischief caused mid-race havoc when blowing the first turn from his inside position. Later in the race, when making a menacing mid-stretch rail bid at leader Cutter Helm, said frontrunner cut the son of Into Mischief off, forcing him to alter course and possibly costing him the win.

“He ran a really good race,” Amoss said. “Maybe not what met the naked eye, but you have to understand the trip he had. He was taken out when that horse bolted and he got stopped when he was making a good move. Fortunately, he was able to get second, so that (when jockey Miguel Mena’s objection was validated) he was able to be put up to first. He’s a horse who was training well going into it and I really like him.

“When he came to me, (Midwest principal) Rich (Papiese) and I had talked a few times about how we knew he would be a late (-developing) colt. We slowed (his training) down this summer, but he never left track and we just got him ready for New Orleans. His last work signaled to me that he was ready to run a big race and he did. I don’t know where takes us, but hopefully an allowance in December. It fits well if we want to get to the Lecomte. The time frame is perfect and that’s the game plan.”

Bred by Dr. Aaron Sones, Much Trouble now has a record of 1-1-0 from three starts and has earned $31,520. He was a $145,000 Keeneland September 2016 purchase a yearling. He is out of the Empire Maker mare Lake Naivasha, making him a half to Grade III winner Crewman. His second dam is Grade I winner Serra Lake, who landed the 2001 Go For Wand at Saratoga for Emory Hamilton and trainer Shug McGuaghey.
Amoss also touched on his current top juvenile, Lone Sailor, who has placed twice in stakes — a third in Keeneland’s Grade I Breeders’ Futurity two back and a runner-up effort last out in the Street Sense Stakes at Churchill Downs. The son of Majestic Warrior is owned by G M B Racing, the racing outfit of the Benson family of New Orleans Saints and Pelicans ownership.

“He’s doing very well,” Amoss said. “He is a Grade I stakes-placed colt, so he’s the most advanced I have right now. He’s coming along nicely.”

DAUGHTER OF ASHADO TOPS ‘BLACK FRIDAY’ 2-YEAR-OLD MAIDEN

It may be ‘Black Friday’ on Nov 24, but Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots will be beaming with potential when a field of 10 2-year-old fillies break from the gate in race seven. Topping the field is Godolphin Racing’s impeccably bred Alfresco, a daughter of leading sire Tapit and champion Ashado who races for 2015-16 meet champion trainer Mike Stidham.

A good-looking bay filly with a blaze that resembles that of Tapit-sired Belmont Stakes winner Tonalist, Alfresco has pieced together a steady work tab in advance of the six-furlong event, including a 1:02.20 five-furlong gate work over the Fair Grounds surface on Nov. 11. Joe Bravo, who piloted Zipessa in Stidham’s biggest win of 2017 — the Grade I First Lady — rides from post five.

While Alfresco may generate a following, it would be a surprise if Spendthrift Farm’s Catching Diamonds was not the post-time favorite. Trained by Al Stall Jr., who enjoyed a four-win Opening Day, she has carried no small amount of buzz going into her debut. A $425,000 Keeneland September grab, the daughter of Into Mischief out of Grand Breeze exits a sharp half-mile drill in 48.20 — eighth-best of 85 — and is a half-sister to swift multiple stakes-winning sprinter Cool Cowboy.

“She’s a pretty filly and was obviously expensive,” Stall said. “She’s a forward-acting Into Mischief and she has a little get-up-and-go to her. She’s out of a Grand Slam mare and I love that. We’re feeling good about her.”

Miguel Mena rides Catching Diamonds from post six.

Gary and Mary West debut Steve Asmussen-trained Fashion Show from post three with Shaun Bridgmohan. By Street Cry (Ire) out of the Unbridled’s Song mare Isla, the dark bay filly cost $320,000 at the 2016 Keeneland September yearling sale and has strung together a steady work tab, including a local five-furlong training race gate work in 1:02 flat on Nov. 4.

Two others worth watching are Triton Thoroughbreds’ Ron Moquett trainee Mo Mo, unsurprisingly by top sire Uncle Mo, who breaks from post two under Jamie Theriot after a string of steady Churchill Downs works, and Hidden Brook Farm’s homebred Bret Calhoun trainee Drift Away, a three-quarter to multiple stakes winner Full Ransom who breaks from post seven under Jack Gilligan for a barn that bats 18% on debut.

Cover Photo: Al Stall, Jr.; Reed Palmer Photo