Fair Grounds

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency PRICEY INTO MISCHIEF DEBUTS IN NOLA 8th-FG, $50K, Msw, 3yo, 5 1/2fT, 5:23p.m. Tom Amoss unveils an expensive daughter of red hot sire Into Mischief in NATALIE WOULD, a $500,000 EASMAY purchase following a :21 3/5 breeze. The bay is a daughter of GSP Global Hottie (Dixie Chatter). Bret Jones homebred Quality of Mercy (Summer Front) also debuts in this spot. The bay is a half-sister to GISW Summer Soiree (War Front) and her dam is a half-sister to MGSW & GISP Mil Kilates (Gold...

B. Wayne Hughes's Spendthrift Farm has acquired a 50% ownership interest in graded stakes winner Keepmeinmind (Laoban). The 3-year-old colt was second behind Essential Quality (Tapit) in the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity and third behind that subsequent champion in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile before concluding his 2-year-old campaign with a win in the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. He currently sits second on the GI Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 18 points. "We are delighted to be a part of such an exciting young racehorse as Keepmeinmind, and thankful to...

There is quite a lot of marriage material in the name and family of 3-year-old winning filly Postnup (f, 3, Declaration of War--I'm Engaged, by Broken Vow). Is the proposal of a "postnup" somehow related to a declaration of war? Hopefully not. According to Google a "postnup" is "a legally binding contract--entered during the marriage, as opposed to a prenup--that spells out who gets what portion of specified assets and how liabilities are shared in the event of a divorce." So it is more like a treaty, and treaties, among...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency The most expensive yearling and second-priciest progeny overall of superstar sire Quality Road to sell in 2019, FIND NEW ROADS, will open his account in this New Orleans dirt sprint Thursday afternoon. Hammering to Tom Durant for $950,000 at Keeneland September, the bay is out of a daughter of GSW Welcome Surprise (Seeking the Gold), herself a half-sister to dual champion and legendary super-sire A.P. Indy (Seattle Slew) as well as Classic winner Summer Squall (Storm Bird). Trained by Bret Calhoun, Find New Roads shows...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency PLETCHER, BROWN SADDLE INTRIGUING FIRSTERS 7th-GP, $50K, Msw, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 2:44p.m. Chad Brown unveils Christine and Phil Hatfield's ARISTON (Flatter) in this event. The $500,000 FTSAUG buy is a full to GSW Plainsman and a half to GSP Liam (Liam's Map). Their dam is a half to MGSW Southdale (Street Cry {Ire}). Todd Pletcher also saddles an interesting first timer in Avenue (Quality Road). Out of GSP Magic Union (Dixie Union), the $450,000 KEESEP acquisition is a half to GSP Tizamagician (Tiznow). TJCIS PPs...

Trainer Joe Sharp has been hit with a 30-day suspension and fined $2,500 by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) after five horses he trained tested positive for the medication levamisole during a 16-day period at Churchill Downs in November, 2019. Sharp has said that the levamisole was found in an over-the-counter dewormer he purchased and used to treat his horses. He said he consulted with veterinarians before using the product and was told that it complied with pertinent racing and medication regulations. In addition to the Kentucky positives, eight...

Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow) came out of his wire-to-wire victory in Saturday's GIII Lecomte S. in fine shape, Scott Blasi, assistant to trainer Steve Asmussen, said Sunday. The Winchell Thoroughbreds runner is expected to start next in the Feb. 13 GII Risen Star S. Mandaloun (Into Mischief), the beaten favorite when third in the Lecomte, may get a change of equipment for his  next start, according to trainer Brad Cox. "We still think he is a very good horse," Cox said of the Juddmonte Farm homebred. "He raced wide around both...

After Saturday's GIII Lecomte S., one thing's for certain: the offspring of broodmare Catch the Moon have a strong affinity for that main track in New Orleans. Three of the four graded stakes winners the Malibu Moon mare has produced are now a collective 5-for-6 over the Fair Grounds dirt after the one-length wire job by Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow) in the first leg of the track's Road to the GI Kentucky Derby series. Trainer Steve Asmussen's job will now involve trying to build upon that home-track advantage as Midnight Bourbon...

Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow) put himself on the GI Kentucky Derby trail with a tenacious, one-length front-running score in Saturday's GIII Lecomte S. at Fair Grounds. Proxy (Tapit) was second; 4-5 favorite and 'TDN Rising Star' Mandaloun (Into Mischief) was third after a wide trip in his two-turn debut. The 7-2 shot left the gate running from his rail draw and led the scratched-down field of eight into the clubhouse turn. Midnight Bourbon cruised along on the front end beneath Joe Talamo through fractions of :24.68 and :48.99, while Proxy, a...

A dominant debut winner on the Arlington synthetic Sept. 17, Charlie's Penny was fourth to Souper Sensational next out in Woodbine's Glorious Song S. a month later. Capturing an optional claimer on the dirt at Churchill Nov. 28, she was third in this venue's six-panel Letelier Memorial S. Dec. 19. Stretching out to two turns for the first time here, Charlie's Penny was away alertly and established herself in third, running off the fence through glacial early fractions. Three wide exiting the bend, the gray motored clear in the lane...

The same week that Juddmonte Farms' owner and founder Khalid Abdullah passed away, the legendary outfit has a chance to take a step toward its long-sought first GI Kentucky Derby win when undefeated 'TDN Rising Star' Mandaloun (Into Mischief) goes postward as a likely favorite in the GIII Lecomte S. Saturday at Fair Grounds. The race kicks off the Louisiana oval's three-race Derby prep schedule, to be followed by the GII Risen Star S. and GII Louisiana Derby. Hammered down to 11-10 favoritism debuting Oct. 24 at Keeneland, the homebred...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 4th-FG, $50K, Msw, 3yo, 6f, post time: 2.29 p.m. ET A number of freshly minted sophomores who were pricey sales horses kick off their careers in this six-panel maiden, led by Tom Durant's RUN CLASSIC (Runhappy), a $475,000 OBS purchase  (:20 3/5) and the highest-priced juvenile to sell by his sire. Trainer Bret Calhoun sends him to post, where he will have to face former $650,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling Constituency (Candy Ride {Arg}). The CHC Inc. and WinStar Farm runner, who is conditioned by Dallas...