Fair Grounds: Fionn Flies Late to Score in the Allen “Black Cat” LaCombe

By Kevin Kilroy —-

Fionn Flies Late to Score in the Allen “Black Cat” LaCombe

New Orleans, La (March 8, 2025) – George Messina and Michael Lee’s Fionn saved her best running for the end, going from last to first in the $100,000 Allen “Black Cat” LaCombe Memorial Stakes to beat six 3-year-old peers by 1 1/14 lengths at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.

Trained by Brad Cox, Fionn covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:48.09 over the Stall-Wilson turf course rated “good” with the portable rail at 21 feet. Scoring her third consecutive victory, all local, the Twirling Candy was piloted by Marcelino Pedroza Jr.

“My instructions were to be patient and wait,” Pedroza said. “She has a good turn of foot so I just wanted to use it when I needed to. I got her into the clear at the end and she was there for me.”

After settling at the back of the pack, Fionn followed Love and Poetry down the stretch before tipping out widest of all in the final stages and surging clear.

Play With Fire grabbed the lead briefly in the stretch but flattened out for third. Aterradora (IRE) conceded the lead early to sit a pocket trip before outkicking Lady Orient ahead of the wire for fourth. Merry and Bright set the early fractions but faded once headed at the top of the stretch and finished last.

Sent off as the 8-5 favorite, Fionn returned $5.40, $3.40, and $2.10. Love and Poetry paid $5.80 and $2.60. Play With Fire returned $2.60.

Through four career starts, Fionn’s record stands at 3-1-0 with lifetime earnings of $136,600.

Live racing resumes on Sunday with an 8-race program set to start at 12:45 p.m. CT. The final two weeks of the meet will be filled with five days of racing each, beginning next Wednesday, March 12. Louisiana Derby Day is March 22.

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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.