Classy Free Like a Girl and Manama Gold Set to Impress in Louisiana-bred Stakes Action Opening Weekend at Fair Grounds

By Kevin Kilroy —-
Free Like a Girl; Hodges Photography
Classy Free Like a Girl and Manama Gold Set to Impress in Louisiana-bred Stakes Action Opening Weekend at Fair
Grounds

Double Platinum Earner Free Like a Girl Returns to Fair Grounds in the Valene

Manama Gold and Voila Magic in Good Hands for Same Stakes Success as Siblings

New Orleans, La (Nov. 20, 2024) – Boasting multiple graded stake placings, including the La Troienne (G1) and Apple Blossom (G1), Free Like a Girl will face nine older fillies and mares in Saturday’s John Valene Memorial on Saturday at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. Scheduled as the finale of the 10-race card, the 1 mile 70 yards route will be the last of six opening weekend Louisiana-bred stakes, which serve as preps for Louisiana Champions Day on Saturday, Dec. 14. All six stakes will offer $100,000 purses.

Last year over opening weekend, Gerald Bruno, Chasey Pomier Deville, and Jerry Caroom’s Free Like a Girl reached her first million in career earnings with her win in the Doris Hebert. Six stake wins and two grade one placings later, she has doubled up her stack and is back at Fair Grounds looking for her sixth local stake title in the Valene.

Heart strings will be pulled and undoubtedly many fans will be rooting for last year’s victress D and S Stables’ Vale Male to repeat in the Valene. The 5-year-old mare was the last local stake winner for the much beloved trainer James “Sweet” Hodges, who passed away in September at the age of 87. Now trained by Alexis Claire, Vale Male has been on the shelf since finishing at the back of the pack in March’s Shantel Lanerie Memorial.

Though she has crossed the finish line first in four stakes events, Britlyn Stables’ homebred Clearly a Test will be racing in the Valene for just her fourth win, having been disqualified by the stewards and placed second in the 2024 Crescent City Oaks. Last year’s leading trainer Shane Wilson will leg up Jose Ortiz on the filly made 5-1 in the morning line. The 2017 Eclipse Champion Jockey, who most recently added the Breeders’ Cup Turf Mile to his resume, has moved his tack south from Kentucky for his first winter at Fair Grounds.

Gary Barber’s Bron and Brow headlines the Andrew Ney Memorial. With ten foes entered, the 6-furlong dirt sprint is scheduled to go as Race 7. Previously with Mark Casse, the two-time Gary Palmisano Memorial champion sports a healthy string of seven drills in preparation for the Ney and will walk over from son’s Norm Casse’s barn.

Chief among his competition is Tav Enterprises’ El Dinero. The 3-year-old trained by Pat Devereux racked up two local stakes last year, including the Crescent City Derby. Known to relish the long stretch at Fair Grounds, the late kicker should have a pace to chase as Mike J, Geaux Sugar, and Hi Yah will likely knock heads with Bron and Brow through the early stages of the Ney.

Written for older males at 1 mile 70 yards, the Jacob V. Morreale Memorial attracted another Crescent City Derby winner, as Roger Smith’s Allnight Moonlight is set to return to the track where he took the 2023 edition. Conditioner Sam Breaux will saddle the 4-year-old son of Ransom the Moon who proved himself best over four of his Morreale rivals in the off-track Louisiana Cup Turf Classic at Louisiana Downs in August. Jamie Torres will leg up on the 7-2 morning line favorite for the first time. The Morreale will follow the Ney as Race 8 on Saturday.

Boasting a perfect record in four starts, including three added money events, all eyes will be on Norman Stables’ Secret Faith in Saturday’s Donovan L. Ferguson Memorial. Tabbed as the 2-5 morning line favorite, all the money could be on her, too. The Aurelius Maximus filly trained by Jayde Gelner won authoritatively last out in the Louisiana Jewel at Delta Downs, beating Warrior Justice and Quite the Catch by over six lengths. She’ll face those two again, as a field of six freshman fillies have signed on. Slated as Race 3 on Saturday’s card, the Ferguson will be the first of Saturday’s four stakes.

Manama Gold and Voila Magic in Good Hands for Same Stakes Success as Siblings

The class, achievements, and promise of the Louisiana-bred program will be on full display over opening weekend at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, starting on Friday, Nov. 22–opening day of the 153rd racing season. Victorious Racing’s UAE Oaks (G3) winner Manama Gold will make the Delmar R. Caldwell Memorial her first start in the Pelican State. Previously with Todd Pletcher, Manama Gold is now in the hands of Cherie DeVaux. Yet to win against open stakes company in her three stateside starts, the 3-year-old previously based in Dubai is a full sibling to grade three winner and a Louisiana legend, Ova Charged. A field of nine older fillies and mares have entered the 6-furlong dirt sprint.

Chief among Manama Gold’s competition is Coteau Grove Farms’ homebred Freeburn, who has done her best running at Fair Grounds, with all three wins coming around the local oval at the Caldwell distance. On the bench since running in the top four against open company twice at Oaklawn, the filly has put in six local drills, including a bullet on Nov. 2. Axel Concepcion has been named to ride Freeburn, as the winner of the 2023 Eclipse Award for outstanding apprentice jockey has moved his tack to New Orleans for his first local meet.

Three Chimneys Farm, Coteau Grove Farms, and Dusty Castille’s Viola Magic headlines Friday’s Joseph R. Peluso Memorial, a 6-furlong sprint for statebred juveniles. The half-sibling to Touchuponastar won his debut impressively at Churchill Downs for trainer Steve Asmussen.

Of the six freshman foes signed on for the 6-furlong Peluso, logical contenders include Mansfield Racing’s son of Vekoma, Louisiana Jess, who racked up his second win in the D.S. Shine Young Futurity for Bret Calhoun and Maggi Moss’ Hay Jude. The Tom Amoss trainee scored by eight lengths in his debut at Delta Downs.

With nine races on tap for Friday, the Ferguson kicks off the stakes action as Race 5 and the Caldwell is slated as Race 7.

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About Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots

Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, one of the nation’s oldest racetracks, has been in operation since 1872. Located in New Orleans, La, Fair Grounds, which is owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ Global Select Market: CHDN), also operates a slot-machine gaming facility and 15 off-track betting parlors throughout Southeast Louisiana. The 153rd Thoroughbred Racing Season–highlighted by the 112th running of the Louisiana Derby–will run from Nov. 22, 2024 through March 23, 2025. More information is available online at www.fgno.com.