Fair Grounds Barn Notes: Thursday March 15, 2018

By Ryan Martin —-

• Stewart Giving The Grade II Louisiana Derby A Try With Givemeaminit
• Riders Mena, Clark Sidelined Indefinitely
• Gilligan Scores Thursday Three-Bagger

STEWART GIVING THE GRADE II LOUISIANA DERBY A TRY WITH GIVEMEAMINIT

Trainer Dallas Stewart has always had a tremendous amount of confidence in Louisiana-bred Givemeaminit and hopes that such confidence will be rewarded in a big way when he runs in next Saturday’s Grade II $1 million Louisiana Derby Presented by TwinSpires.com (100-40-20-10).

The Valene Stables-owned son of Star Guitar breezed a half-mile in 48.60 over the Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots main track on Friday morning.

It was not until seventh asking when Givemeaminit found the winner’s circle in his sophomore debut. As a 2-year-old, he had been knocking on the door against some of the best in his division. Such starts include a trio of appearances in Grade I events where he was third in the Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga and finished only a neck behind Sporting Chance and Free Drop Billy. He then finished a respective fifth and fourth in the Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar.

Last time out he was a troubled eighth in the Gr. II Risen Star.

“The Risen Star was a puzzling race,” Stewart said. “It didn’t pan out right. The horse was training very well since then so we’re going to go ahead and give him another shot. I think that he deserves another chance. We’ll find out where we’re at and go from there.”

Givemeaminit will be ridden by Javier Castellano in the Louisiana Derby.

“He rode the horse in the Breeders’ Cup and ran well for him so all of that works out well,” Stewart said.

In other Louisiana Derby-related news, Lone Sailor, who worked a half-mile in 48.00, also will likely enter the Louisiana Derby according to trainer Tom Amoss.

“I worked him and (Gr. II $400,000 TwinSpires.com Fair Grounds Oaks possible entrant) Chocolate Martini (half-mile in 48.00) and assuming they look good tomorrow morning, they will run,” Amoss said.

Other known probable entrants for the event include Bravazo, Kentucky Club, My Boy Jack, Snapper Sinclair, Retirement Fund, Noble Indy, Marmello, and Dark Templar.

RIDERS MENA, CLARK SIDELINED INDEFINITELY

Following a three-horse spill in Thursday’s eighth race, Kerwin Clark, aboard Ellashoo, underwent surgery on his jaw on Friday morning at University Medical Center New Orleans. He also suffered broken ribs and a collapsed lung.

“He was in the ICU last night,” said Clark’s agent Charles Ashy, Jr. “They put a tube in his lung, responded pretty well so far. He was in surgery earlier to repair his jaw.”

Meanwhile, leading rider Miguel Mena, who rode A Fashion Affair, has suffered a compound fracture of the ankle and a broken heel.

Both Clark and Mena will be sidelined indefinitely.

Three horses were involved in the spill. Ellashoo, who broke down and caused the chain reaction, had to be put down. According to trainer Andrew Valenzuela, A Fashion Affair had “some superficial cuts, but all in all we came out okay”. Bret Calhoun reported that Queen Bernardina, the third horse in the spill, also “seems to be okay”.

GILLIGAN SCORES THURSDAY THREE-BAGGER

Thursday afternoon was an enjoyable one for jockey Jack Gilligan who scored his first Fair Grounds hat trick on the ten-race card.

“This was huge,” Gilligan said. “This meet has gone way better than I expected. I knew that I had some business coming into it, but I’ve had great opportunities by a lot of different trainers.”

Gilligan swept the daily double in the sixth and seventh races aboard Tale of Beaucette ($17.00) and Rosebud’s Hope ($8.40). He capped off his three-bagger with a win in the ninth race aboard Blasted Boss ($11.20), who scored her third straight victory.

“She keeps on improving,” Gilligan said of Blasted Boss. “She’s a tricky filly but (trainer) Bret (Calhoun) has done a good job on her just trying to get her to relax a little bit and the way she’s been working recently she keeps improving. It’s been great and it’s showing in her races.”

The Winter Meet has been Gilligan’s first full season at the Fair Grounds after having spent the past three winters riding at Turfway Park in northern Kentucky. Gilligan has found the winner’s circle with 24 of his 195 mounts this meet and has been in the money at a 37% rate. He is represented by agent Liz Morris.