Lotsandlotsofcandy Piles It On Menard Field in First Stakes Victory

By Kevin Kilroy —-

Lotsandlotsofcandy Piles It On Menard Field in First Stakes Victory
El Dinero Cashes in Palmisano; Blue Fire Turns Tables in Wright

NEW ORLEANS (Jan. 10, 2025) — Jay Em Ess Stable’s Lotsandlotsofcandy broke to the front and never allowed her five rivals to threaten in the stretch, scoring in Saturday’s off-the-turf $100,000 Nelson J. Menard Memorial by 4 1/2 lengths in the lightly raced 5-year-old mare’s first stakes appearance.

The open-company Menard was one of three stakes races run Saturday at Fair Grounds, including sibling Louisiana-bred dirt sprints, the $100,000 Gary P. Palmisano Memorial and the $100,000 Bob F. Wright Memorial.

Trained by Paul McGee and ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr., Lotsandlotsofcandy covered 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:03.11 over a main track labeled “good.”

“Paul had her cranked up and ready to go today,” Hernandez said. “Going into her (allowance win last out at Churchill Downs) we knew she was a couple works short but that it was time to go. To top it off the way she did just shows what a great job Paul has done with her. As big as she is, she keeps getting better and better.”

Pan Zareta Stakes winner Big Trouble ran second, while Sporting Lady finished third.

Originally scheduled for the turf, the Menard was moved to the main track because of heavy morning rain.

“She’s a naturally fast filly and I just try to get along with her,” McGee said. “She has got a big grass number and we are wanting to try her on the grass. The race here next month (Mardi Gras Stakes) is what we are going to point for.”

Sent off as the odds-on favorite, Lotsandlotsofcandy paid $3.60, $2.40 and $2.10.

Lotsandlotsofcandy’s career record improved to 6-3-1-0, with earnings of $278,645.

In the Gary P. Palmisano Memorial, Tav Enterprises’ El Dinero returned to the Fair Grounds winner’s circle. The three-time local stakes winner broke a beat slow, chased the pack while advancing wide on the far turn, then produced a powerful sustained rally to run down race leader Hay Jude, crossing the finish line three-quarters of a length in front. Sir Wellington finished third.

Trained by Pat Devereux Jr. and ridden by Jareth Loveberry, El Dinero covered six furlongs in 1:10.34 over a “good” track.

“He puts everything into his races,” Loveberry said. “Today he laid it all on the line to run down Hay Jude.”

Sent off as the 7-5 favorite, El Dinero paid $4.80, $2.60 and $2.40.

“I’m so proud of him,” Devereux said. “We wanted to win (this race) last year but it didn’t work out. We’ll probably run one or two more times in this cycle before giving him a break and preparing for next fall.”

El Dinero’s career record now stands at 26-7-8-4, with earnings of $540,640.

After finishing behind Secret Faith in her previous two starts, Blue Fire turned the tables to win the Bob F. Wright Memorial Stakes by 2 1/4 lengths over the odds-on favorite. Owned by Stonestreet Stables and Peter Leidel and trained by Steve Asmussen, Blue Fire stopped the clock at 1:10.09 for six furlongs over a muddy track.

Blue Fire was given a tactically savvy ride by jockey Jose Ortiz. After leading the pack through the far turn, Ortiz looked back repeatedly to locate Secret Faith, then guided Blue Fire into the middle of the track, where Secret Faith was attempting to launch her run, blunting a serious challenge.

“When we approached the quarter pole I looked up and tried to find out where (Secret Faith) was,” Ortiz said. “I knew it was a two horse race.”

The 2025 Crescent City Oaks winner, who finished second in the Eight Belles (G2), now owns a career record of 10-5-3-0 with earnings of $420,120.

Stakes action continues Saturday, Jan. 17, at Fair Grounds with Road to the Derby Day. The Grade 3, $250,000 Lecomte Stakes, offering 20-10-6-4-2 points toward a spot in the Kentucky Derby 152 starting gate, headlines a six-race stakes program offering $875,000 in total purses.

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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 13 off-track betting parlors throughout Southeast Louisiana. The 154th Thoroughbred Racing Season–highlighted by the 113th running of the Louisiana Derby–will run from Nov. 20, 2025 through March 22, 2026. More information is available online at www.fgno.com.