FAIR GROUNDS STAKES ADVANCES: FULL FIELD OF 14 3-YEAR-OLDS ASSEMBLED FOR WOODCHOPPER, PAGO HOP

By Ryan Martin —-

NEW ORLEANS (December 26, 2017) – Three-year-old colts and fillies will have a final chance to end their 2017 campaign on a high note this Saturday, December 30 at the Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in the Pago Hop and the Woodchopper Stakes, both of which drew full fields of 14 and are run at one mile on the Stall-Wilson Turf Course carrying a purse of $75,000.

The 32nd running of the Woodchopper Stakes is headed by Flurry Racing Stables LLC’s Mr. Misunderstood who is an undefeated 7-for-7 on the turf and is slated as the lukewarm 4-1 morning line favorite by Fair Grounds odds maker Mike Diliberto. Named after a song and album by country music singer Eric Church, the son of Archarcharch is also undefeated over the Stall-Wilson Turf Course in two starts. In addition to that, he will be in search of his fifth consecutive victory. Since coming off a layoff after a lack luster effort in Hawthorne’s Gr. III Illinois Derby, he has won all four of his starts which all of which were stakes races. In August, he fired off the bench in the Super Derby Prelude Stakes over the Louisiana Downs turf and returned to the Shreveport oval once more to a victory in the Super Derby on Sept. 9. He followed his two Louisiana Downs stakes wins with a pair of stakes wins over Churchill Downs’ Matt Winn Turf Course in the Jefferson Cup Stakes on Sept. 30 and the Gr. III Commonwealth Turf on Nov. 11. Florent Geroux will be aboard from post five.

Cox also sends out Cowboy Culture for Head of Plains Partners LLC and Cheyenne Stables LLC, who breaks from post 8 under Corey Lanerie. Like his stable mate, he also is 2-for-2 over the Stall-Wilson Turf Course. The son of Quality Road won an allowance race at the end of last year over the Fair Grounds turf which he followed up with a win in the Keith Gee Memorial Stakes over eventual Risen Star and Louisiana Derby (both Gr. II) winner Girvin. Since then, he scored a pair of turf stakes wins in the Gr. III Arlington Classic on May 27 and Indiana Grand Race Course’s Centaur Stakes on Sept. 6. Last time out, he was a disappointing ninth in the Gr. II Twilight Derby at Santa Anita on Oct. 28.

Cox is not the only trainer who will send out a pair for the Woodchopper Stakes. Trainer Tom Proctor will be represented by Big Bend (post seven, Robby Albarado) and Caribou Club (post 12, Joe Bravo), both of which will be putting winning streaks on the line for Saturday’s race.

Owned by Union Rags Racing LLC, Big Bend has won his last three starts and defeated older horses in Keeneland’s Gr. III Sycamore last time out at odds of 18-1 on Oct. 19. Prior to that effort, he beat fellow 3-year-olds in the Dueling Grounds Derby at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 10 which was preceded by an allowance win on the Delaware Park turf. Glen Hill Farm’s Caribou Club may not have the resume that his stable mate does, but has nevertheless proven himself consistent in his racing career. In nine career starts, the son of City Zip has finished on the board eight times, including a third place finish behind graded stakes winner Bowies Hero in the Oceanside Stakes at Del Mar. Caribou Club will enter Saturday’s race off of two narrow allowance wins where he was a half-length winner going down the hill at Santa Anita and last out defeated graded stakes placed Holiday Stone in a one-mile Del Mar allowance race on Nov. 23.

Rounding out the Woodchopper Stakes field are Just Move On (post one, Jose Valdivia, Jr., 20-1), Balandeen (post two, David Cabrera, 30-1), Don’task Don’ttell (post three, Mitchell Murrill, 15-1), First Premio (post four, Colby Hernandez, 6-1), Uncontested (post six, Channing Hill, 10-1), Cedartown (post nine, Jack Gilligan, 12-1), It’s Your Nickel (post 10, James Graham, 20-1), St. Louie Guy (post 11, Christopher Emigh, 30-1), Oxford Lane (post 13, Brian Hernandez, Jr., 15-1), and Kitten’s Cat (post 14, Miguel Mena, 8-1).

Heading the field for the 33rd running of the Pago Hop Stakes is Coffeepot Stables LLC’s Farrell. The daughter of Malibu Moon is a half-sister to Gr. I winners Carpe Diem and JB’s Thunder, and will be making her turf debut for trainer Wayne Catalano when she breaks from post 11 under jockey Channing Hill, Catalano’s son-in-law. At the beginning of her 3-year-old campaign, Farrell swept the series of races on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks at the Fair Grounds when she won the Silverbulletday Stakes, the Grade II Rachel Alexandra and the Gr. II Fair Grounds Oaks. She entered the Gr. I Kentucky Oaks as the 4-1 second choice but was a disappointing 14th and last when she was beaten 48¾ lengths behind Abel Tasman. Following such an effort, she did not see racing action until September, where she was fifth in Churchill Downs’ Dogwood Stakes. Farrell redeemed herself next out when she won the Gr. II Chilukki over Churchill Downs’ main track, her most recent outing.

Trainer Brad Cox will be sending out a pair of fillies for the turf event, including Magic Joan who breaks from the 4 slot under Shaun Bridgmohan at odds of 8-1. Owned by e Five Racing Thoroughbreds, the full-sister to multiple graded stakes winner Blueskiesnrainbows will be making her stakes debut in the Pago Hop and enters the race off a runner-up effort over the Aqueduct turf course behind Speighgal. Her only other start was a maiden victory in her career debut at Belmont Park on Oct. 25, which she won by a half-length.

Cox also sends out LNJ Foxwoods’ Sensitive, who is in search of her first stakes win. The daughter of Divine Park was unsuccessful in her two starts against stakes company. As a 2-year-old, she was a well-beaten ninth in Belmont Park’s Chelsey Flower Stakes when under the care of conditioner Michael Dickinson. This year, Sensitive ran in the Gr. III Pucker Up at Arlington Park where she was a disappointing seventh behind fellow Pago Hop entrant Fault (post seven, Corey Lanerie, 6-1). She enters Saturday’s race with a string of two runner-up efforts against allowance company on the turf at Kentucky Downs and Keeneland, respectively. Sensitive breaks from post 12 under Florent Geroux.

The remainder of the field is comprised of Righteous Ruth (post one, James Graham, 12-1), Into Summer (post two, Adam Beschizza, 12-1), Hallie Belle (post three, 12-1, Robby Albarado), Sully’s Dream (post five, Jose Valdivia, Jr., 8-1), Oh So Terrible (post six, Calvin Borel, 30-1), Gentle Kitten (post eight, Miguel Mena, 20-1), Rum Go (post nine, Colby Hernandez, 20-1), Hotshot Anna (post 10, Marcelino Pedroza, 15-1), Bella Bella (post 13, Brian Hernandez, Jr., 30-1) and I’m Betty G (post 14, Joe Bravo, 9-2).

About Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots
Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, the nation’s third-oldest racetrack, has been in operation since 1872. Located in New Orleans, LA, Fair Grounds is owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ Global Select Market: CHDN); it also operates a slot-machine gaming facility and 11 off-track betting parlors throughout southeast Louisiana. The 146th Thoroughbred Racing Season – highlighted by the 105th running of the Louisiana Derby – will run from November 18, 2017 through March 31, 2018. More information can be found online at www.FairGroundsRaceCourse.com.

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