Eagle Looks to Soar in Lecomte
W S Farish homebred Eagle (Candy Ride {Arg}) looks to secure his first black-type victory in today’s GIII Lecomte S. at the Fair Grounds and he will have to overcome the 11-hole to do it. A good looking debut winner sprinting at Ellis Park July 5, the Neil Howard pupil was second in an optional claimer going Churchill’s one-turn mile Sept. 26. Returning to his winning ways with a decisive allowance score going 1 1/16 miles at Keeneland Oct. 22, the chestnut came running late to finish a close third to subsequent GIII Jerome S. winner El Kabeir (Scat Daddy) in the Nov. 29 GII Kentucky Jockey Club back in Louisville.
Looch Racing Stable and Christopher Dunn’s undefeated War Story (Northern Afleet) takes a step up in class here for trainer Tom Amoss. The chestnut gelding broke his maiden for Ron Moquett at Churchill Nov. 1 and made it two-for-two with a victory in his debut for this barn going a mile over this strip Dec. 28.
Ken & Sarah Ramsey and Mike Maker won this race last year with Louisiana-bred Vicar’s in Trouble (Into Mischief), who went on to win the GII Louisiana Derby and GII Super Derby, and they hope to repeat this year with International Star (Fusaichi Pegasus). A first out winner over the Belmont turf June 21, the bay was second in both the state-bred Rockville Center S. on the main track there July 13 and Saratoga’s grassy GII With Anticipation S. Aug. 28. Winner of the GIII Grey S. over the Woodbine synthetic Oct. 5, he failed to fire in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf in Arcadia Oct. 31 and was fourth last time in the Kentucky Jockey Club.
Whispering Oaks Farm hopes to make Lousiana-bred Lecomte winners a tradition with their state-bred Four Leaf Chief (Lookin at Lucky). Also a debut winner on the turf at Evangeline Downs July 10, the bay captured the Louisiana Cup Juvenile Aug. 2 and was fourth in a sloppy renewal of the state-bred Evangeline Downs Star S. Aug. 30. Victorious once again in Delta’s Louisiana Legacy S. Nov. 22, he came charging late to finish third to War Story last time here.
“Everything that could go wrong went wrong [in his last race] and he didn’t really get into it until halfway through the race,” Whispering Oaks Farm owner Carrol Castille told the TDN earlier this week. “We put blinkers on him and that has him a lot more focused and seems to work really well. He is a lot more aggressive so we are hoping the few changes we made make a difference.”
Mike McCarty’s Tiznow R J (Tiznow) is one of two maiden winners with a chance to make some noise here. A neck third in his Churchill unveiling Sept. 6, the Steve Asmussen trainee completed the trifecta again there Nov. 13 and broke through with a front running 13 1/4-length victory at this track and trip Dec. 11. Trained by Laura Wohlers, the other impressive maiden winner in the field is James McIngvale’s Runhappy (Super Saver). The bay earned his diploma with an 8 1/4-length score going six panels over the synthetic at Turfway Park Dec. 28.
Todd Pletcher can never be ignored, especially when it comes to 3-year-old graded stakes, and he is represented here by Team Valor and Southern Equine Stables’s Savoy Stomp (Medaglia d’Oro). A first out graduate at Belmont Sept. 27, the $875,000 FTSAUG purchase was fifth behind undefeated stablemate Blofeld (Quality Road) in Aqueduct’s GII Nashua S. Nov. 2. and was third last time to recent Mucho Macho Man S. winner Bluegrass Singer (Bluegrass Cat) in a Dec. 17 Gulfstream optional claimer. Hall of Famer Mike Smith makes the trip from California to ride the bay, who adds Lasix for this return to black-type company.