Fair Grounds

8th-Fair Grounds, $53,800, Alw (NW1X)/Opt. Clm ($100,000), 3-21, 3yo, f, 5 1/2fT, 1:04.31, fm, 3/4 length. HEY BERTIE (f, 3, Kantharos--Believe in Bertie {MSW & MGSP, $413,482}, by Langfuhr) debuted a winner by 1 1/2 lengths in an off-the-turf sprint in New Orleans Jan. 17. After firing a bullet on the fast track in the Big Easy Mar. 14 (4f, :47.80, 1/114), the filly was well-backed as the 9-5 choice here. The homebred bided her time near the rear of the field up the backstretch as a scramble for the...

A year after recording a GII TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby-GII Fasig-Tipton Fair Grounds Oaks double with Catching Freedom and Tarifa, trainer Brad Cox will saddle the morning-line favorites in both races Saturday. The rail-drawn John Hancock (Constitution), a game wire-to-wire winner over next-out GIII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby winner Owen Almighty (Speightstown) in the Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs Feb. 8, will put his two-for-two record on the line in the Louisiana Derby. The WinStar Farm and CHC, Inc. colorbearer is the 7-2 program favorite. The stretch-running...

TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack provides analysis for Saturday's pair of GI Kentucky Derby preps--the GII TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby and GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks. GII TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby - After being offered in a pair of maiden claimers at two, #9 Instant Replay (Maximum Security) really elevated his game for Brad Cox in his 3-year-old debut, closing impressively (albeit into a hot pace) from last of six to win with authority (came home in :31) by five lengths in an optional claimer at Fair Grounds Feb. 17. He should...

NBC Sports will present live coverage of the GII Louisiana Derby from Fair Grounds Saturday at 6 p.m. ET on CNBC and Peacock. The hour-long program will also feature coverage of the GII Fair Grounds Oaks and the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks from Turfway Park. Ahmed Fareed will host Saturday's coverage alongside analysts Jerry Bailey and Randy Moss. The Louisiana Derby begins three consecutive Saturday afternoons with Kentucky Derby prep coverage live on CNBC and Peacock, continuing with the GI Florida Derby and GI Arkansas Derby Mar. 29 and the...

6th-FG, 52K, Msw, 3yo, f, 1 1/16m, 4:15 p.m. Westwind Farms homebred EPISIST (Outwork), out of SW/GSP and $625k KEENOV broodmare buy Silent Candy, is a half-sister to champion 3-year-old colt Epicenter (Not This Time) who captured that GI Runhappy Travers Stakes and placed in both the GI Kentucky Derby and the GI Preakness during his Eclipse-winning season. In addition to Epicenter, Silent Candy has produced three other winners from seven to race. Episist lines up just inside of the well-bred second-time starter Bundle (Volatile), a daughter of MGISW and...

Last year's Champion 3-year-old male and 'TDN Rising Star' Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) will return to Fair Grounds to make his 4-year-old bow in the 100th running of the GII New Orleans Classic on Saturday. Tabbed as the 7-5 morning line favorite, Sierra Leone will face nine other opponents including the highly-regarded winner of the GIII Mineshaft Stakes at Fair Grounds Feb. 15, Hall of Fame (Gun Runner). As reported by TDN's Senior Contributing Editor Alan Carasso, Sierra Leone's trainer Chad Brown had made plans for the colt to make...

Saturday's canceled card due to a power outage at Fair Grounds will be moved in its entirety to Tuesday, Mar. 18, according to a Sunday press release from Churchill Downs Inc. First post is set for 12:45 pm CT. The track will conduct a six-day racing week culminating with the Louisiana Derby Day card on Saturday and closing day is Sunday, Mar. 23.

As a result of the severe storms which moved through the area, and are still making their way through large parts of the country, high winds and corresponding electrical issues have forced Fair Grounds to cancel live racing Saturday. The nine-race card had six main track and three turf contests scheduled for the day, but power loss in the area forced the track to abandon the card. Live racing is scheduled to resume Sunday with a first post of 12:45 p.m. CT.

8th-Fair Grounds, $52,000, Msw, 3-13, 3yo, 6f, 1:10.20, ft, 1 length. ANCIENT WORLD (g, 3, Into Mischief--Thirteen Arrows {MSW, $277,375}, by Indian Charlie) had a pair of bullets on his worktab, including a flashy, four-furlong move from the gate in :46 4/5 (1/113) Feb. 9, and was off as the even-money favorite in this debut run. He missed the break beneath Jose Ortiz and trailed the field of eight as Sargent Sully (Instagrand), a well-beaten fifth on debut in New Orleans Jan. 20, flew through an opening quarter in :21.63....

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Mighty Eriu at Fair Grounds. Inns Of Court Filly Strikes At Fair Grounds Qatar Racing and Fergus Galvin's Mighty Eriu (Ire) (Inns Of Court {Ire}) broke her maiden in style at Fair Grounds on Mar. 3 (video). Trained by Brendan Walsh, the 3-year-old filly was bred by Brian Canning and Tom Kelly. The bay caught the eye of Paula Flannery, who paid €30,000...

9th-Fair Grounds, $55,000, Alw (NW3$X)/Opt. Clm ($80,000), 3-6, 4yo/up, 1mT, 1:39.39, fm, 1/2 length. DONEGAL MOMENTUM (c, 4, Uncle Mo--Moon Dash {SP}, by Malibu Moon) was named a 'TDN Rising Star' at the beginning of a 3-year-old campaign which saw him win the Gio Ponti Stakes in October and finish out his season with a third, just one length off winner Formidable Man (City of Light) who took last week's GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile, in the GI Hollywood Derby at Del Mar Nov. 30. Cutting back to the mile...

It was a busy weekend with GI Kentucky Oaks preps being run at Santa Anita, Aqueduct and Gulfstream. None of the winners did enough to crack the top four, but they all have a license to improve. We've dropped the bottom three from last week's list--Running Away (Gun Runner), Runnin N Gunnin (Gun Runner) and White Rocks (Frosted)--and replaced them with horses who appear to have more potential. It will be a quiet week as there is not a single stakes race for 3-year-old fillies that will be run this...