Barn Notes
Pyro Fires Bullet Breeze Monday at Fair Grounds
FAIR GROUNDS BARN NOTES
Headlines for Monday, February 25, 2008
· Pyro Fires Bullet Breeze Monday at Fair Grounds
· Louisiana Derby Attracts 105 Nominations
· Circular Quay, Grasshopper Top New Orleans Handicap Nominations
· Indian Blessing, Proud Spell Head Fair Grounds Oaks Nominations
· Daytona, Einstein Among 32 Mervin Muniz Memorial Nominations
· Bienville, Duncan F. Kenner Stakes Nominations Released
Pyro Fires Bullet Breeze Monday at Fair Grounds
NEW ORLEANS, La. – Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC’s Pyro, the likely favorite for the Grade II Louisiana Derby March 8, breezed a bullet six-furlong move in 1:14 Monday morning at Fair Grounds, one day before his trainer Steve Asmussen was to travel to Dubai to saddle Horse of the Year Curlin in a Thursday prep race for the $6 million Dubai World Cup March 29.
Pyro, one of the early favorites for this year’s Kentucky Derby following his explosive stretch run in Fair Grounds’ Grade II Risen Star Stakes Feb. 9, worked Monday in company with Winchell’s Zanjero, third in last year’s Louisiana Derby and a former workmate of Curlin.
Pyro, with Dominic Terry aboard, and Zanjero, who had Shaun Bridgmohan in the irons, accomplished their joint move after getting the half in :50.
Zanjero, also owned by Winchell Thoroughbreds, is nominated to the Grade II New Orleans Handicap on Louisiana Derby Day.
Zayat Stables LLC’s Z Fortune, runner up behind Pyro in the Risen Star, also trained by Asmussen and also under consideration for the $600,000 Louisiana Derby, breezed five furlongs in 1:02 Monday.
Zayat Stables’ J Be K, a third Asmussen-trained possibility for the Louisiana Derby, breezed three-quarters in 1:13.60 during training hours Sunday.
Louisiana Derby Attracts 105 Nominations
Pyro, Z Fortune, Visionaire, Unbridled Vicar and Blackberry Road, the first five finishers respectively in Fair Grounds’ Grade III Risen Star Stakes as the major local prep for the Grade II Louisiana Derby March 8, are among 105 sophomores on the Louisiana Derby final nominations list.
Eighty-seven horses were early bird nominations for the Derby, which provided free nominations to both of Fair Grounds’ prep races, the Grade III Lecomte and Grade III Risen Star. An additional 18 horses were nominated before Saturday’s deadline.
In addition to Pyro and Z Fortune’s Monday workouts at Fair Grounds, Visionaire breezed a half-mile at Palm Meadows training center last Friday.
Unbridled Vicar, who races in the silks of Jim Tafel, owner of last year’s Kentucky Derby hero Street Sense, breezed five furlongs in 1:03.80 at Fair Grounds Sunday morning, and Blackberry Road, owned by Dogwood Stable and second to Z Fortune in the Lecomte, also went five furlongs Sunday at Fair Grounds, accomplishing the move in 1:02.80 with jockey Robby Albarado aboard.
Albarado left New Orleans Monday for New York, where he was to catch an overseas flight to Dubai on Tuesday to ride Curlin Thursday.
Circular Quay, Grasshopper Top New Orleans Handicap Nominations
Circular Quay, hero of last year’s Louisiana Derby, and Grasshopper, winner of this year’s Mineshaft Handicap, head a list of 19 older horses nominated to the 83rd running of the $500,000 Grade II New Orleans Handicap on March 8 at Fair Grounds.
Circular Quay, owned by Michael and Doreen Tabor and conditioned by four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Todd Pletcher, finished fifth in Santa Anita’s Grade II San Carlos Handicap Feb. 16 in his lone start this year, and could become the first horse to win the Louisiana Derby and New Orleans Handicap in consecutive years since Peace Rules accomplished the feat in 2003-04.
Grasshopper, owned by William Farish et al and trained by Neil Howard, was clearly best in Fair Grounds’ Grade III Mineshaft Handicap Feb. 9 in the final major local prep for the New Orleans Handicap.
The 4-year-old colt, second by a half to Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense in last summer’s Grade I Travers at Saratoga, breezed six furlongs in 1:15.40 Monday morning at Fair Grounds.
Indian Blessing, Proud Spell Head Fair Grounds Oaks Nominations
Patti and Hal Earnhardt III’s Indian Blessing and Brereton C. Jones’ Proud Spell, the 1-2 finishers in last fall’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies and in last month’s Grade III Silverbulletday Stakes at Fair Grounds, head the nominations list for the Grade II Fair Grounds Oaks to be run March 8.
Following her Breeders’ Cup victory, Indian Blessing was subsequently named Eclipse Award-winning juvenile filly for 2007.
Also on the Fair Grounds Oaks nominations list is Briarwood Stable’s Highest Class, third in the Silverbulletday, and fourth-place finisher Jolie the Cat, who won Fair Grounds’ Tiffany Lass Stakes Jan. 12.
Highest Class breezed five furlongs in 1:01.40 at Fair Grounds Monday and Jolie the Cat accomplished that same distance in 1:02 during a Monday breeze.
Daytona, Einstein Among 32 Mervin Muniz Memorial Nominations
Irish-bred Daytona and Brazilian-bred Einstein are among 32 nominations to the $500,000 Mervin H. Muniz Jr. Memorial Handicap to be run on Louisiana Derby Day March 8.
The Grade II Muniz Memorial is Fair Grounds’ centerpiece event for grass campaigners each season, and is to be contested about nine furlongs over the Stall-Wilson turf course.
Daytona, trained by Dan Hendricks, shipped in from California to take down winning honors in the Grade III Fair Grounds Handicap Feb. 9, and also accounted for the Grade I Hollywood Derby last year.
Einstein is the defending champion from last season’s Muniz Memorial, and won the Grade I Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap last Saturday.
Bienville, Duncan F. Kenner Stakes Nominations Released
Roger Smith’s Smitty’s Sunshine, who captured last year’s edition of the $100,000 Bienville Stakes, heads a list of 27 older female grass sprinters nominated to this year’s 22nd running on March 8 at about 5 1/2 furlongs over the Stall-Wilson turf course.
Undefeated Euroears, owned by James and Marilyn Helzer, heads a group of 18 sprinters nominated to the Duncan F. Kenner Stakes at six furlongs on Louisiana Derby Day.
Euroears most recently won the $100,000 Colonel Power Stakes on the Stall-Wilson turf coursse Feb. 9 but captured the $100,000 Gaudin Memorial before that over the local main track on Jan. 12.
