Bella Ballerina, Luv Your Neighbor Set for Rachel Alexandra Rematch in Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks

By Kevin Kilroy —-

Hodges Photography

Bella Ballerina, Luv Your Neighbor Set for Rachel Alexandra Rematch in Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks

NEW ORLEANS (March 15, 2026) – Godolphin’s multiple graded-stakes winner Bella Ballerina will renew her rivalry with Luv Your Neighbor in the Grade 2 $400,000 Fair Grounds Oaks presented by Fasig-Tipton at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. The 1 1/16-mile race has drawn a field of seven 3-year-old fillies and serves as the final local stop on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks, awarding 100-50-25-15-10 qualifying points to the top five finishers.

With stakes purses totaling $2.55 million, Louisiana Derby Day will feature seven stakes races, four of which are Grade 2 events, including the $1 million TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby, offering 200 qualifying points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby; the $500,000 New Orleans Classic presented by Hagyard; and the $300,000 Muniz Memorial Classic Stakes presented by Horse Racing Nation.

Set for Saturday, March 21, the Fair Grounds Oaks is slated as Race 11 on a 14-race card. First post is noon.

Bella Ballerina enters off a determined victory in the Rachel Alexandra, where she fought back after being headed in the stretch by Luv Your Neighbor to prevail late. With the Grade 2 Golden Rod also on her resume, the Brendan Walsh trainee was installed as the 7-5 morning-line favorite and will break from post 5 with Tyler Gaffalione aboard. A half sister to 2023 Eclipse Awards champion 3-year-old filly and Kentucky Oaks winner Pretty Mischievous, Bella Ballerina will put her perfect record on the line again Saturday.

Luv Your Neighbor will look to turn the tables in the rematch after pressing Bella Ballerina throughout the Rachel Alexandra before settling for second. The Mike Stidham trainee, owned by Lael Stables, has finished second in each of the local Oaks preps this season and ranks eighth on the leaderboard with 40 points. Luis Saez returns aboard the Constitution filly, who drew post 4, just inside Bella Ballerina.

Looming as another major player is Life of Joy, as Brad Cox attempts to win a record fifth Oaks and back-to-back renewals after Good Cheer captured the 2025 edition before going on to win the Kentucky Oaks. After beginning her career with a dominant 14 3/4-length maiden victory at Horseshoe Indianapolis, Life of Joy captured the Rags to Riches Stakes and most recently finished second to Zany in the Suncoast Stakes. Flavien Prat has the call.

Rounding out the field are Love and Trust, an impressive maiden winner at Fair Grounds for Cherie DeVaux; Newtown Pike, who finished second in the Martha Washington Stakes at Oaklawn Park for Lindsay Schultz; Maximum Offer, who exits a strong fourth in the Martha Washington Stakes for Kenny McPeek; and Miss Metoyer, who returns to stakes company after a 13-length allowance victory at Delta Downs.

Closing weekend festivities will include a quartet of $100,000 Louisiana-bred stakes Sunday on the final card of Fair Grounds’ 154th meet.

Here is the complete field for the Fasig-Tipton Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) from the rail out with jockey, trainer, and morning line odds:

Miss Metoyer (Edward Santiago, Benard Chatters, 20-1)
Newtown Pike (Francisco Arrieta, Lindsay Schultz, 8-1)
Maximum Offer (Brian Hernandez Jr., Kenny McPeek, 8-1)
Luv Your Neighbor (Saez, Stidham, 7-2)
Bella Ballerina (Gaffalione, Walsh, 7-5)
Life of Joy (Prat, Cox, 4-1)
Love and Trust (Jose Ortiz, Cherie DeVaux, 9-2)

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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.