Chasing Liberty On Hunt for Fourth Stakes Title in Black Gold, the Feature of Saturday’s Stakes Quintet

By Kevin Kilroy —-

Golden Afternoon; Hodges Photography

Chasing Liberty On Hunt for Fourth Stakes Title in Black Gold, the Feature of Saturday’s Stakes Quintet

New Orleans, La (Feb. 23, 2025) – Five stakes have been carded for Saturday, March 1 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, headlined by the 67th running of the $100,000 Black Gold, where Chasing Liberty will face a field of eight 3-year-olds looking for his fourth stakes title in just his sixth start.

The four-pack of Louisiana-bred stakes on Saturday includes two pairs of sibling stakes. The sensational statebred crop of 3-year-olds will be on full display as the males line up in the 1 mile 70 yards $100,000 Louisiana Stallion of the Year and the females in the 1 mile $100,000 Louisiana Broodmare of the Year. Both routes will be held on the main track. Scheduled for the Stall-Wilson turf course, older males will take centerstage in the 1 1/16 miles $100,000 Edward M. Johnston Memorial; older fillies and mares in the $100,000 Red Camelia.

The 10-race program has an adjusted first post of 12:20 p.m. CT to accommodate the Endymion Parade which will roll through Fair Grounds’ neighborhood of Mid City on Saturday night.

Twin Creeks Racing Stables’ Chasing Liberty added a third notch in his stakes belt with a dominant win last out in the Texas Turf Mile. The Rob Atras trainee has been nearly bulletproof racking up four wins in five career starts. A chestnut Constitution colt, Chasing Liberty drew post 6 and will be reunited with Florent Geroux.

Fourth last out in the Lecomte (G3), Eddie Greco, Pat Greco, Scott Jaffe, Michael Cloonan, and Vaccarezza Racing’s Triple Crown nominated Golden Afternoon will return to the turf in the Black Gold. In his three grass starts, the gelded son of Goldencents has been brilliant, winning two and finishing second in the Bourbon (G2). Trained by Nick Vaccarezza, Golden Afternoon will be guided from post 2 by Axel Concepcion.

John Gunther’s Without Caution is set to make his 3-year-old debut in the Black Gold. Trainer Cherie DeVaux campaigned the debut winner at Saratoga and Belmont this summer and fall, where he ran sixth in both the With Anticipation (G3) and the Pilgrim (G2). Without Caution will wear blinkers for the first time and Jareth Loveberry has been named to ride the Without Parole colt.

The Black Gold is scheduled as race 9.

The added money action begins in race 4 with the Louisiana Broodmare of the Year “Flashy Prize” Stakes. Of the seven fillies entered, Stonestreet Stables and Peter Leidel’s Blue Fire is the standout, having won the Louisiana Champions Day Lassie for her trainer Steve Asmussen. Both Powdered Sugar and Margie’s Intention will put their two-race win streaks on the line in their first crack at stakes company.

Having only faced fellow Louisiana-breds once in eight starts, Valene Farms Triple Crown nominated Dapper Moon entered the Louisiana Stallion of the Year “Star Guitar” Stakes looking to prove himself going two turns. The two-time winning Dallas Stewart trainee has been unsuccessful in his four route tries but each has been a graded stake, including an 11th place finish in the Lecomte (G3). Brian Hernandez Jr. takes the call.

Scheduled as race 8 and drawing a field of seven, logical contenders in the “Star Guitar” include the Premiere Night Prince exacta, as Cajun Mitole proved best over Hay Jude in their 7-furlong run at Delta Downs.

With the portable rail at 14 feet, 11 are entered in the body of the Edward M. Johnston, including the Louisiana Champions Day Turf exacta. Richard Painter and Dewberry Farm’s Woods N Water proved a nose better than Brittlyn Stables’ Behemah Star in that December affair, but the Shane Wilson trained son of Star Guitar has since turned the tables in a local allowance across the main track. The Eddie Johnston is slated as race 7.

Headlining the Red Camelia is Earl Hernandez, Keith Hernandez, and John Duvieilh’s Highly Wicked, who boasts a perfect record in five turf starts for trainer Sam David Jr. Last out the 5-year-old proved best in the Louisiana Champions Day Ladies Turf. Scheduled as race 5, the Red Camelia attracted a field of 10 and will kick off the stakes-laden $1 Pick 6.

Dark on Sunday, March 2, Fair Grounds will celebrate Lundi Gras and Mardi Gras with live racing both days, including the 81st running of the $100,000 Mardi Gras Stakes on Tuesday, March 4.

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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