After “Nasty Nose” Loss to Boys, Bohemian Eyes Breakthrough in LaCombe

By Kevin Kilroy —-

Hodges Photography

After “Nasty Nose” Loss to Boys, Bohemian Eyes Breakthrough in LaCombe

NEW ORLEANS (March 4, 2026) – Narrowly denied in her lone attempt, Bohemian will try for her first stakes victory in Saturday’s $100,000 Allen “Black Cat” LaCombe Memorial Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.

The filly counterpart to last Saturday’s Black Gold drew a competitive field of 11 sophomores to travel 1 1/16 miles on the Stall-Wilson Turf Course. The portable rail will be set at 21 feet. Scheduled as Race 9 on a 10-race card, first post is 12:45 p.m. CT.

The Joe Sharp trainee makes her second stakes start after finishing second against males in January’s Texas Turf Mile at Sam Houston Race Park, where she lost by a head bob.

“Bohemian ran a big second against the boys,” Sharp said. “She lost by a nasty nose. We circled the LaCombe after that effort and are excited to get her back to Fair Grounds, where she’s run well.”

After settling near the back and allowing the pace to unfold, Bohemian unleashed a strong late rally but came up just short of Aces Honor, trained by Ethan West. Aces Honor returned to compete in the Battaglia, a Kentucky Derby prep, at Turfway Park.

Before the Texas Turf Mile, Bohemian had won two straight races — a local allowance and her maiden at Churchill Downs — both at 1 mile.

“We tried her at a mile and an eighth at Keeneland,” Sharp said, “She had a tough trip that day and still ran fourth. We feel confident she can handle more distance.”

Listed as the 7-2 morning-line favorite, the gray filly by Essential Quality drew the rail and will be reunited with jockey Ben Curtis.

Named for Fair Grounds’ most infamous bon vivant and raconteur, the race honors Allen “Black Cat” LaCombe, a longtime publicity director and morning-line oddsmaker at Fair Grounds. LaCombe’s bad luck peaked on a day when he publicly picked the winner of nine races, but somehow managed to lose money betting the card. His photo hangs in the Press Box Hall of Fame.

Louisiana Derby Day Nominations Close Saturday, March 7

Nominations for Louisiana Derby Day’s eight-stakes program close Saturday, March 7. Set for Saturday, March 21, the $1 million TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) anchors a closing-weekend card that features four graded stakes, including the $400,000 Fasig-Tipton Fair Grounds Oaks (G2), the $500,000 New Orleans Classic presented by Hagyard (G2) and the $300,000 Muniz Memorial presented by Horse Racing Nation (G2). Also on the marquee are the $150,000 Tom Benson Memorial, the $100,000 Crescent City Derby, the $100,000 Crescent City Oaks and the $100,000 Costa Rising.

Louisiana Derby Draw Show Set

The draw for the $1 million TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) will be conducted live on the Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots simulcast feed following Race 1 on Saturday, March 14, at approximately 3:10 p.m. CT. The program will be hosted by Joe Kristufek, with the official morning line scheduled for release following Race 2.

March Kicks Off With Pair of 5-Day Race Weeks, Twilight Racing

Live racing at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots resumes Thursday, March 5, the first of two consecutive five-day race weeks, with Monday, March 9 and Monday March 16 added to the racing calendar.

On Saturday, March 14, Fair Grounds will host Clash of the Colleges Twilight Races. College students, fans and alumni will attend the races in their college gear for a fun night of horse racing under the stars, followed by live music in the clubhouse. First post is 3 p.m. CT.

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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.