Fair Grounds Stakes Recaps

By Ryan Martin —-

2/16/2019. – Synchrony notches back to back wins in the Grade III Fair Grounds Handicap at Fair Grounds. Hodges Photography / Lou Hodges, Jr.

SYNCHRONY SCORES BACK-TO-BACK VICTORIES IN GRADE III FAIR GROUNDS ‘CAP

NEW ORLEANS (February 16, 2019) – Pin Oak Stable’s Synchrony ($4.20, $3.40 and $2.80) once again displayed his strong affinity for the Stall-Wilson Turf Course in Saturday’s Grade III $150,000 Fair Grounds Handicap, which he won for the second year in a row.

Guided by regular rider Joe Bravo, the 6-year-old son of Tapit sat well off the pace while Great Wide Open (Ire.) displayed his typical front running fashion and set opening fractions of 23.18, 47.37 and 1:11.34. Synchrony went six wide at the top of the stretch while 35-1 longshot Bandua took the lead, but made a strong run and proved to be the best horse in the race. He won by 1 ¼ lengths in a final time of 1:48.09. Bandua ($18.00 and $10.60) held on for second while Markitoff ($10.60) completed the trifecta.

The Fair Grounds Handicap was Synchrony’s first start of 2019. In his last effort he was a troubled third in the Grade II Seabiscuit Handicap at Del Mar in November.

“He was the best horse in his last race, anyone could have seen it,” Bravo recalled. “In turf racing, it’s all about getting position and how you win races like that is by putting them in position and he was unfortunate not to hit daylight,. Today I was worried about the speed favoring turf course and I had to use him a little bit. What makes him a good horse is that he listens to the rider. He’s a special animal and hopefully he stays healthy for the future. He makes the rider look good.”

Trained by Michael Stidham, Synchrony is undefeated in four starts over the Stall-Wilson Turf Course.

“His works coming in were as good as I could ever want them to be,” Stidham said. “Schooling the last couple of days and coming into the paddock today, he was just so cool and so calm that I knew he was set up for a big one. We worried about the speed bias and I told Joe to not let him drift out the back door We had to have some kind of position turning for home to have a shot to win and he did it.”

Following the race, Stidham stated that Synchrony would attempt to defend another title next out in the Grade II $300,000 Muniz Memorial Stakes on March 23.

“This is home and we would try to win the race again, we like to win at Fair Grounds,” Stidham said.

Stidham also noted that a long term goal would be the Grade I $1 million Old Forester Turf Classic at Churchill Downs on the Kentucky Derby undercard. Last year, he finished a close third in the event which was contested over a yielding course.

“That would be our plan as long as the turf is firm,” Stidham said. “He’s a really good horse. He has shown it over and over again. I think he’s still got a Grade I sitting out there somewhere waiting for him.”

Adam Beschizza, the rider aboard longshot runner-up Bandua, was pleased with his horse’s effort.

“He’s a horse I’ve always held in high regard,” said Beschizza, who piloted the son of The Factor in his last two efforts. “I couldn’t believe he was such a price. This is probably the only time he’s been settled in somewhere. He’s always been on the move. He came here from Ireland, and then went to Chicago and Canada. He’s become more Americanized. That’s just the start of something. I can’t say that his first two or three runs were truly him.”

The Fair Grounds Handicap was Synchrony’s fifth graded stakes triumph. Other than his trio of local graded stakes wins, he collected a pair of Grade II victories at Monmouth Park last year in the Oceanport Stakes and Red Bank Stakes.

Synchrony earned $90,000 from the Fair Grounds Handicap win which enhanced his lifetime earnings to $733,052.

Completing the order of finish were Great Wide Open (Ire.), First Premio, Tiz a Slam, Sir Dudley Digges, Combatant and Big Changes.

A Kentucky homebred, Synchrony is out of the Forest Wildcat broodmare Brownie Points who was a multiple stakes winner on dirt and turf. She also produced stakes-placed Chocolate Kisses.

2/16/2019 – Silver Dust with jockey Jack Gilligan aboard pulls away to capture the 34th running of the Grade III $150,000 Mineshaft Handicap from Fair Grounds. Hodges Photography / Amanda Hodges Weir

Tom Durant’s Silver Dust turned the tables on Front Row Racing et al.’s Harlan Punch when reversing the order of finish from last month’s Louisiana Stakes in Saturday’s Grade III $150,000 Mineshaft Handicap at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.

Trained by Bret Calhoun, Silver Dust settled early off the soft splits set by John C. Oxley’s Flameaway through opening fractions of 25.93, 50.74 and 1:14.82. Approaching the top of the lane, the 5-year-old son of Tapit made a menacing move to take the lead and was never headed thereafter, crossing the wire 2¼ lengths the best ahead of Harlan Punch. He stopped the clock in 1:45.46 for the 1 1/16-miles trip on the main track under Jack Gilligan, who in winning the Mineshaft scored his first career graded stakes victory.

The winner of last month’s Louisiana Stakes, the Brad Cox-trained Harlan Punch rated kindly near the back under Florent Geroux and finished with good energy while unable to compete with the winner late. He finished three-quarters of a length in front of pacesetting Flameaway, who held third for trainer Mark Casse and jockey Tyler Gaffalione. G M B Racing’s local star and post-time favorite Lone Sailor finished sixth.

“I was hoping to be third or fourth in the first turn, but we were able to move up when they slowed it down,” Gilligan said. “He took me around there beautifully on the last turn. I just had to keep him busy down the lane.”

“I knew today wouldn’t be his best effort, but I am really surprised at how slow the pace was,” trainer Tom Amoss said of Lone Sailor. “At that point, we have no chance to win. He got wiped out pretty bad in the first turn, too, so that and the pace didn’t help.”

The win was Silver Dust’s fourth in 19 career starts, and he earned $90,000 to boost his career bankroll to $354,607. He returned $13.40, $5.60 and $4.00, while Harlan Punch paid $4.20 and $3.00, and Flameaway returned $4.20.

Third Day, Phat Man, Lone Sailor, Long On Luck, Krewe Chief, Ballard High and Mo Dont Know completed the running order. Quip, Imperative and Thirstforlife were scratched.

2/16/2019 – Mitchell Road with Luis Saez up turns for home and goes on to win the Albert M. Stall Memorial Stakes at Fair Grounds. Hodges Photography / Brit Benson

MITCHELL ROAD CLASSES UP IN ALBERT M. STALL MEMORIAL

The hike into stakes company proved no trouble for Mrs. J. V. Shields, Jr. and E J. M. McFadden’s Mitchell Road, who was confidently handled throughout by Luis Saez en route to a three-quarter length score in Saturday’s $75,000 Albert M. Stall Memorial Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.

The Bill Mott trainee tracked Coffee Crush’s early splits of 23.04, 47.22 and 1:11.06 before easily assuming command entering the stretch and completing the 1 1/16-miles turf trip in 1:41.32. Slam Dunk Racing and Medallion Racing’s Brad Cox-trained Beau Recall (Ire.), favored at 4-5, settled further off the pace and rallied gamely in the stretch for second under Shaun Bridgmohan, two lengths ahead of Coachwhip in third for Ricardo Santana, Jr. and trainer Jack Sisterson.

Mitchell Road is a 4-year-old daughter of English Channel out of the War Chant mare Quake Lake, making her a half-sister to eventual Grade II Risen Star runner-up Country House. She won for the fourth time in six career starts while earning $45,000 to boost her lifetime earnings to $154,570. She returned $7, $3.20 and $2.60, with Beau Recall paying $2.60 and $2.20, while Coachwhip returned $3.60.

“It was a terrific trip,” Saez said. “That was the plan to see the speed, and when she got into the stretch, I had a ton of horse.”

Coffee Crush, Pretty Lady, Top Cats (Arg), Kabella and Dreams are Free completed the running order.

Photos Courtesy of Hodges Photography