Fair Grounds Saturday: Grade 2 New Orleans Handicap, Muniz Memorial Selections

By Rick Francis —-

2/17/2018. – Calvin Borel pilots The Player to victory in the 33rd running of the Grade III Mineshaft Handicap at Fair Grounds. Hodges Phorography / Lou Hodges, Jr.

Race 8) 1&1/8th Mile. New Orleans H. Grade II. Purse $400,000 FOR FOUR YEAR OLDS AND UPWARD.
$200K Guaranteed $0.50 All Stakes Pick 4 (Races 8-9-10-11) Post Time: 4:39/( 3:39)/ 2:39/ 1:39

The Player (1), Bradley/Borel; dominated the Grade 3 Mineshaft; a pair of strong works suggest this 5-year-old is sitting on another big effort.

Hollywood Handsome (2), Stewart/Ortiz, J; Tapizar colt has been a steady player, just at a notch below.

Scuba (3), Walsh/Geroux; was making up ground to show in Mineshaft, wasn’t going to catch winner; jock change to Geroux a plus but not enough.

Han Sense (4), Maker/Hernandez, R; colt out of Hansen has put together three straight solid efforts here, winning in December and finishing a neck back in each of his last two; should be part of super plays.

Good Samaritan (5), Mott/Rosario; makes his first start since missing by a half-length in the Grade 1 Clark; main threat to rail foe.

Leofric (6), Cox/Castellano; faded in the slop in the G3 Razorback, but showed a nice late kick here in the Tenacious; Castellano helps.

Selections: 1, 5, 3, 6

Race 9), 1&1/8th Mile. (Turf) Muniz Memorial H. Grade II. Purse $300,000 FOR FOUR YEAR OLDS AND UPWARD

Synchrony (1), since switching to the turf here a year ago, Tapit 5-year-old has been a beast; posting a pair of first and seconds, the last here in the G3 FG Handicap. Turf course will be firm and fast to his liking.

Mr. Misunderstood (8), his 4-race win streak snapped here in FG ‘Cap, however this Archarcharch colt has shown he can rebound. He’ll need a clear path to threaten but with Getoux on board he may just find it.

Ring Weekend (11), the field’s lone millionaire broke an eight race losing streak when he drew clear of Gulfstream OC’s last out, an effort that came at the mile route; still has enough for exotics.

Forge (9), ran a clear second to World Approval in the G3 Tampa Bay, and though the top two are formidable here, there’s no World Approval to deal with.

Selections: 1, 8, 11, 9