Fair Grounds Barn Notes: Saturday February, 24

By Ryan Martin —-

• Carroll Looks Ahead With Wonder Gadot
• Promising 3-Year-Old Curlin’s Honor Makes Seasonal Bow On Sunday

CARROLL LOOKS AHEAD WITH WONDER GADOT

Grade II Rachel Alexandra Stakes third-place finisher Wonder Gadot could return to action in the Gr. II $400,000 Fair Grounds Oaks (100-40-20-10) on Mar. 24 according to trainer Mark Casse’s assistant David Carroll.

“Mark and (Owner) Mr. (Gary) Barber will talk about that,” Carroll said. “I think a lot depends on what (Rachel Alexandra winner) Monomoy Girl is going to do. I read that she might go for the (Gr. I $400,000) Ashland (at Keeneland on Apr. 7) and if she does then maybe it will lead to the possibility that she’ll run here. She’s going to stay here for now, and we’ll see what happens closer to race time. She came out of it in great shape.”

The Ontario-bred daughter of Medaglia d’Oro currently sits at No. 3 on the Kentucky Oaks Leaderboard with 24 points. She acquired ten when winning the Gr. II Demoiselle at Aqueduct and four following a narrow second place finish to Stronger Than Ever in the Silverbulletday Stakes. Wonder Gadot earned another ten in the Rachel Alexandra

The connections are unsure where they will go next with Debby Oxley’s Heavenly Love who was a disappointing seventh in the Rachel Alexandra. The daughter of Malibu Moon has not won since a victory in Keeneland’s Gr. I Darley Alcibiades Stakes in October.

“We’ll have to regroup with Heavenly Love,” Carroll said. “We don’t understand why she’s not performing to her expectations. She looks great and she’s sound.”

Meanwhile, trainer Bret Calhoun is planning on pointing Classy Act and Patrona Margarita, who finished a respective second and fourth in the Rachel Alexandra, to the Gr. II Fair Grounds Oaks.

PROMISING 3-YEAR-OLD CURLIN’S HONOR MAKES SEASONAL BOW ON SUNDAY

John C. Oxley and Breeze Easy LLC’s Curlin’s Honor makes his 3-year-old debut in Sunday’s fifth race, a six-furlong allowance event on the Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots main track.

Trained by Mark Casse, the promising son of Curlin has not started since his career debut at Keeneland on Oct. 7, which he won by a neck over eventual allowance winner Facilitator. A lucrative purchase, Curlin’s Honor was bought for $1.5 million from the Fasig-Tipton Mid-Atlantic Sale last May. His dam, Franscat, has produced seven other offspring, all of which found the winner’s circle.

“He trained beautifully last fall, we liked him a lot,” assistant trainer David Carroll said. “He ran a big race first time out. He had a minor injury so we gave him some time off and he’s ready to run again. We think he’ll be better going two turns but we’ve got to get him started. We’re looking forward to get him running again on Sunday. it looks like (Hall of Fame trainer) Steve (Asmussen) has a nice horse in there, Carlsbad. We got a nice draw and more than anything we’re looking to get a good race back in him.”

Curlin’s Honor will receive riding services from Corey Lanerie from post six as the 7-5 morning line favorite.