TRIO OF LOUISIANA-BRED STAKES SUPPORT SATURDAY’S LOUISIANA DERBY DAY PROGRAM

By Grant LaGrange —-

Crescent City Derby, Crescent City Oaks & Costa Rising on tap

(New Orleans – Wednesday, March 18, 2020) – With an early first post of 11 a.m CDT at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Saturday’s 12-race Louisiana Derby Day card will feature eight stakes worth a total of $2.425 million. Four of those stakes are graded, including the Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) and Twinspires.com Fair Grounds Oaks (G2), 100-40-20-10 points races on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and Oaks, now re-scheduled for early September.

There will be no time wasted getting to the stakes action, as the 1 1/16th miles $75,000 Crescent City Derby for Louisiana-bred 3-year-olds will be run as race one. In what will be his stakes debut, Baronne Farms LLC’s Sydster has been installed as Mike Diliberto’s lukewarm 3-1 morning line favorite over seven rivals.

Bet down to 5-2 favoritism, but well beaten in his career debut while sprinting on dirt, the Eddie Johnston-trainee was stretched out to two turns on turf in his follow-up start and the son of Power Broker did not disappoint, wiring the field. He pulled a similar winning act against allowance foes back on dirt in his follow-up start, and in his most recent start, Sydster finished second behind a much more experienced elder in Musical Man. He will break from post one with jockey Florent Geroux aboard on Saturday.

Perfect from two starts, with both wins coming in deep closing fashion over 6 ½ furlongs at Delta Downs, Keith Plaisance’s Langs Day invades Fair Grounds with hopes of keeping his undefeated record intact for trainer Lee Thomas. Breaking from post two with Ty Kennedy aboard as the 7-2 second choice, the son of New Year’s Day will stretch out to the 1 1/16th mile distance for the first time.

$75,000 Crescent City Derby, 1 1/16 miles, Louisiana-breds, 3-year-olds.

1. Sydster Geroux/Johnston 3/1
2. Langs Day Kennedy/Thomas 7/2
3. Atta Bouy Murrill/David, Jr. 9/2
4. Kai Baby Kai Hernandez/Stall, Jr. 10/1
5. City Park Gaffalione/Gabriel, Jr. 5/1
6. Luckenbacher Lanerie/Burress 12/1
7. Freedomfi G. Melancon/G. Smith 8/1
8. Jax Man Graham/David, Jr. 5/1

Crescent City Oaks

Carded as race three and the second of eight total stakes on the Louisiana Derby Day program, the Crescent City Oaks is scheduled to be run at one mile and seventy yards and is restricted to Louisiana bred 3-year-old fillies.

Autumn Hill Farms Racing Stables Inc’s Steph’sfullasugar has been nothing short of sensational in two career starts. Dismissed at odds of 7-1 in her debut on January 18 at Fair Grounds, she won in professional, stalk and pounce fashion. The daughter of Tapiture followed up with another score in the Premier Night Starlet Stakes at Delta Downs, as she settled in early before drawing away to score by 6 3/4th lengths. The Victor Arceneaux charge is listed as the 7-5 morning line favorite and will break from post eight with jockey Colby Hernandez aboard.

Corinne and William Heiligbrodt’s Vacherie Girl will look to get back on track after finishing a well-beaten ninth behind Steph’sfullasugar as the 8-5 favorite in the Premier Night Starlet Also a daughter of Tapiture, Vacherie Girl kicked off her career with a debut win at Fair Grounds before taking the Louisiana Champions Day Lassie in her follow-up run. Hammered down to 1-2 in the Louisiana Futurity just 15 days later, she finished a disappointing third. Vacherie Girl will be ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr. and is listed as the 4-1 second choice on the morning line.

1. Georgia Dawn Lanerie/Forster 20/1
2. Quikfast N Ahurry Geroux/S. Flint 6/1
3. Oh Toodles Graham/Lara 6/1
4. Sebs Princess Hernandez, Jr./Duke 5/1
5. Saber Cut Saenz/Breaux 8/1
6. Vacherie Girl Santana, Jr./Asmussen 4/1
7. Jet Sweep K. Smith/Dore 20/1

Costa Rising Stakes

A 13-time winner overall, but with only one of those victories coming on turf, Ivory Sisters Racing LLC’s Monte Man is scheduled to line up as the lukewarm 7-2 morning line favorite over 11 older Louisiana-bred sprinters in Saturday’s $75,000 Costa Rising Stakes over 5 ½ furlongs of green.

In what was his only career turf win from seven tries, the 7-year-old son of Custom For Carlos captured the 2018 edition of the Costa Rising, and he finished second, beaten only a neck by Win Lion Win, in last year’s renewal. The leading earner in the field with $537,441 in the bank, Monte Man was last seen finishing third as the 4-5 favorite in a restricted, off the turf optional claimer for trainer Ron Faucheux. He will break from post seven with Adam Beschizza astride.

Winless from eight starts since last year’s Costa Rising, Farm dAllie Racing Stables’ 9-year-old gelding Win Lion Win will look to back on track on Saturday. The second leading earner in the field with just over $400K in the bank, the 6-1 co-second choice will leave from post two with James Graham aboard.

Also installed at 6-1 in the morning line is Margolis Racing LLC and Columbus Circle Partners’ Yankee Seven. The winner of consecutive restricted allowance sprints in the slop, prior to a recent third on a fast track, the son of Yankee Gentleman is one of only two 4-year-olds in the body of the Costa Rising. From post nine with Chantal Sutherland aboard, he’s set to test the turf for just the second time in his career on Saturday.

$75,000 Costa Rising, 5 ½ furlongs turf, 3 yo’s & up, Louisiana-breds.

1. Treys Midnite Moon Bridgmohan/Richards 10/1
2. Win Lion Win Graham/Ramsay-Banks 6/1
3. Fame Feather Doyle/Faucheux 8/1
4. Future Ruler Geroux/Thomas 10/1
5. Mr. Priority Kennedy/Thomas 20/1
6. Afleet Ascent Saenz/Devereux, Jr. 8/1
7. Monte Man Beschizza/Faucheux 7/2
8. A Song for Arch Pompell/Brinkman 10/1
9. Yankee Seven Sutherland/Margolis 6/1
10. Grand Luwegee Lanerie/Perron 20/1
11. In the Navy Albarado/Gelner 8/1
12. Eden Grey’s Kitten Santana, Jr./S. Flint 10/1
13. Laughingsaintssong Hernandez/Landry 6/1
14. Letithappencarlos Murrill/Zeringue, Jr. 6/1
15. Inspector Eddie Mena/Johnston 8/1
16. Bertie’s Galaxy Geroux/Faucheux 6/1

Fair Grounds Racing to be simulcast NBCSN

The last several races on Saturday’s Fair Grounds’ card, including the Twinspires.com Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) and Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2), will now be broadcast on NBCSN’s simulcast of TVG’s Trackside Live, which will air from 3-7 p.m. CDT (4-8 p.m. EDT) with Britney Eurton as the host.

Coverage of the Louisiana Derby will also be streamed live on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app – NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs.

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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 is owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ Global