Oeuvre Enters Oversubscribed Bobby Kelly Memorial Eying Millionaire Status

By Kevin Kilroy —-

Oeuvre; Hodges Photo
Oeuvre Enters Oversubscribed Bobby Kelly Memorial Eying Millionaire Status

New Orleans, La (Jan. 26, 2025) – With a career bankroll of $993,886, Dick Perkin’s Oeuvre faces an oversubscribed field of 4-year-old and up fillies and mares in the $100,000 Robert “Bobby” Kelly Memorial on Saturday, Feb. 1 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.

The 5 ½-furlong turf sprint, which attracted 13, is carded as Race 7 of 9. With the portable rail set at 16 feet, 11 will run. Feb. 1 is also Exotic Animal Racing (College Day) at Fair Grounds. First post is 12:45 p.m. CT.

An Illinois-bred trained by Chris Block, Oeuvre has racked up 12 stakes scores, six of them local. On her way to securing a Nelson J. Menard three-peat last out, the 6-year-old mare by Shackleford tenaciously ran down front-runner Speedy Traveler, who would be the first of the Bobby Kelly also-eligibles to draw in should there be a scratch. Oeuvre drew post 11 and will be reunited with David Cohen.

Just on the other side of seven figures, Danse Macabre is set to kick off her 5-year-old campaign in the Bobby Kelly. Owned by NBS Stable and Elements Racing, the Herecomesthebride (G3) winner has amassed $1,007,830 lifetime earnings, only having finished out of the exacta twice in 12 starts. All five of the Kelsey Danner trainee’s wins have come at different tracks. Saturday will be Danse Macabre’s first start at Fair Grounds. Her regular rider Adam Beschizza will travel with her.

Accomplished Girl, this year’s Pan Zareta winner, is a logical contender in the Bobby Kelly, and the graded stakes winner trained by Steve Asmussen will have a rider change, as Jose Ortiz takes over for Jareth Loveberry. On board for Accomplished Girl’s two local starts this meet, Loveberry instead takes the call from trainer Brian Williamson on Miss Arlington.

Here is the field for the Bobby Kelly Memorial Stakes from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

1. Danse Macabre (Beschizza, Danner)

2. Runninwiththeboyz (Ben Curtis, Lindsay Schultz)

3. Harbor Springs (James Graham, Greg Foley)

4. Cupids Crush (Jeiron Barbosa, Mac Robertson)

5. Cecile (Axel Concepcion, Schultz)

6. Accomplished Girl (Ortiz, Asmussen)

7. Riley Jean (Edgar Morales, Tom Amoss)

8. Miss Arlington (Loveberry, Williamson)

9. High Class (Brian Hernandez Jr., Asmussen)

10. Big Trouble (Jaime Torres, Foley)

11. Oeuvre (Cohen, Block)

12. Speedy Traveler (Jaime Torres, Phil Bauer)

13. Non Violence (C.J. McMahon, Bret Calhoun)

Live Racing on Monday, Jan. 27

Due to historic amounts of snowfall in New Orleans earlier this week, Thursday’s 9-race card was moved to Monday, Jan. 27 and will be run in its entirety. First post will be 12:45 p.m. CT.

Fair Grounds Announces “Twilight Tailgate Racing” on Super Bowl Weekend

With New Orleans serving as the host city for Super Bowl LIX, Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots will be joining the festivities by holding “Twilight Tailgate Racing” on Saturday, Feb. 8th. First post for the 8-race program will be 5 p.m. CT and all races will have a Superbowl theme. There will be a DJ in the Jamison Bar from 4 – 9 p.m. and The Wiseguys will be playing on the 4th floor in the Clubhouse from 8 – 11 p.m. Tickets are on sale now at www.fgno.com and through Ticketmaster.