Saudi Crown Back at Fair Grounds in the Tenacious

By Kevin Kilroy —-

Saudi Crown; Hodges Photograph
Saudi Crown Back at Fair Grounds in the Tenacious

New Orleans, La (Dec. 16, 2024) – Made the 9-5 morning line favorite in Saturday’s $100,000 Tenacious Stakes, FMQ Stables’ Saudi Crown is set to return to Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots on “Road to the Derby Kickoff Day.” One of eight added money events on the 12-race card, the 1 1/16 miles Tenacious will go as Race 9.

Saturday’s program is headlined by the 4th running of the $100,000 Gun Runner and the $100,000 Untapable, points races on the road to the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) and the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1). Each offering $100,000 purses, Saturday’s supporting stakes include the Tenacious, Sugar Bowl, Letellier, Blushing K.D., Richard R. Scherer Memorial, and Buddy Diliberto Memorial Stakes. First post of the 12-race card is noon CT.

Trained by Brad Cox, Saudi Crown began his 4-year-old campaign taking the local Louisiana (G3) ahead of running third in the Saudi Cup (G1). With $3,070,985 in lifetime earnings, the Always Dreaming colt will be making his first start since the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1). Florent Georux retains the mount.

Written for older horses, a field of eight entered the Tenacious, including last year’s victor in the Gun Runner, L and N Racing, Clark Brewster, and Breeze Easy’s Track Phantom. In his lone start since Kentucky Derby 150, the Steve Asmussen trainee prepped for the Tenacious with a game second-place finish going 7-furlongs in an allowance at Churchill Downs in November. Track Phantom will be guided from the rail by the current meet leading rider, Jose Ortiz.

Slated as Race 4, the 6-furlong Sugar Bowl for juveniles will kick off Saturday’s added money action and is the opening leg of an All-Stakes Middle Pick 5.

With six freshmen signed on, S.O.K. Racing, Gervais Racing, On Our Own Stable, Zak Stables and Dallas Stewart’s Tough Catch was tabbed as the 9-5 morning line favorite in the Sugar Bowl. Second last out as the post-time favorite in the Ed Brown on Churchill Downs’ “Stars of Tomorrow II” card, the Complexity colt trained by Stewart will be making his fourth stakes start after breaking his maiden on debut at Saratoga. Luis Saez has the call.

Trainer Whit Beckman entered two in the Letellier, the filly counterpart to the Sugar Bowl, led by Grantley Acres’ Her Laugh. Earning an 86 Brisnet Speed figure in her debut score, the Practical Joke filly drew the rail in a field of seven. Axel Concepcion will get the leg up.

Three stakes are scheduled for the Stall-Wilson Turf Course on “Road to the Derby Kickoff Day.” The 1 1/16 miles Buddy Diliberto Memorial, for older horses, its female counterpart, the Blushing K.D., and the 5 1/2 furlong Richard R. Scherer Memorial for older horses.

Written as Race 10 the Buddy Diliberto attracted seven older males, led by Iapetus Racing and Diamond T Racing’s Gigante. Boasting five stakes scores on his resume, including the 2023 Woodchopper and the 2023 Secretariat (G3), Gigante exits a third in the River City (G3). Trained by Steve Asmussen, the 4-year-old Not This Time Virginia-bred will be piloted by Jose Ortiz.

Slated as Race 6, the Blushing K.D. attracted a field of six fillies and mares, led by Paradise Farms Corp. and David Staudacher’s Stir Crazy. Trained by Mike Maker, Stir Crazy exits a fourth palace finish in the Cardinal (G3). Jose Ortiz will be aboard.

The Scherer (Race 8) drew a field of nine males. The winner of this summer’s Robert Molaro at Hawthorne, Alice McEwen’s Mischievous Rogue will make his first start for trainer Brittany Vanden Berg. In that five furlong turf sprint, the 7-time winner defeated Patricia’s Hope and Richard Ravin’s One Timer, who entered the Scherer for trainer Larry Rivelli and was tabbed as the 3-1 morning line favorite.

Complete fields and morning line odds for all of the stakes action on “Road to the Derby Kickoff Day” can be found on Equibase here: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/FG122124USA-EQB.html.

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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.