Pair of Louisiana-bred Stakes Highlight Fair Grounds’ New Year’s Eve Card

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Nailed at the Wire on Louisiana Champions Day, Clearly a Test Returns in Louisiana Futurity (Girls)
Impressive on Debut, Carpis Classes Up in Louisiana Futurity (Boys)

New Orleans, La (Dec. 29, 2023) – The ten-race New Year’s Eve card at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots includes a pair of 2-year-old Louisiana-bred sprint stakes. Ten fillies entered the 57th running of the $100,000 Louisiana Futurity (Girls), headlined by Clearly a Test and Freeburn. Seven boys entered the 61st running of the $100,000 Louisiana Futurity (Boys) with the focus on Carpis, the impressive debut-winner for Sam David Jr. Both races will be run at 6 furlongs.

Post time on Sunday is 12:45 p.m. (all times Central). The Louisiana Futurity (Girls) is scheduled to go off at 5:15 p.m. as race 10. The male equivalent is slated for 2:15 p.m. as race 4.

After testing her mettle against top-class Saratoga babies over the summer, Brittlyn Stable’s homebred Clearly a Test returned to her homestate and passed her maiden exam in the Donovan L. Ferguson on opening day. The Clearly Now filly backed that effort up with a game second-place finish in the Louisiana Champions Day Lassie. At the sixteenth pole in that race, she appeared to be the likely winner, but in the final stages, Clearly a Test got drilled by Valene Farms’ Accommodate Eva.

“I don’t think she saw Valene’s horse until it was too late,” Wilson said. “She was concentrating so hard on catching the gray horse on the rail. Whenever she passed that one, she saw (Accommodate Eva) and she accelerated to the wire with the outside horse. She’s still a young horse figuring things out.”

Atop the trainer and jockey standings as of Friday, Dec. 28, Shane Wilson and Jose Guerrero will look to continue their success, as Clearly a Test will be guided by Guerrero from post 6 as the 4-1 morning line second favorite.

Clearly a Test’s main rival is the Coteau Grove Farms’ homebred Freeburn. Also debuting out of state, Freeburn ran an impressive third to Halina’s Forte for trainer Steve Asmussen on Nov. 5 at Churchill Downs. Facing statebred maidens last out, the Mitole filly won by open lengths, despite running greenly in the stretch. Brian Hernandez Jr. retains the mount and will break the 7-2 morning line favorite from post 9.

After winning last year’s edition with Norah G, Patricia West enters Tom Galvin’s Tommie G, who similar to Clearly a Test exits the Lassie (fifth-place finish) and the Ferguson (second place).

Here is the complete field for the Louisiana Futurity (Girls) from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds): 1. Lil Chilly (Erica Murray, Gary Scherer, 8-1); 2. Guitar Solo (Corey Lanerie, Allen Landry, 9-2); Lulu’s Magic (Edgar Morales, Shane Wilson, 12-1); 4. Custom Sunshine (Florent Geroux, Chasey Pomier, 12-1); 5. Radiant Rebel (Jareth Loveberry, David Terre, 20-1); Clearly a Test (Jose Guerrero, Shane Wilson, 4-1); 7. Diamond Deal (Jamie Torres, Jayde Gelner, 10-1); 8. Platinum Minit (Rey Gutierrez, Dallas Stewart, 6-1); 9. Freeburn (Brian Hernandez Jr., Steve Asmussen, 7-2); 10 Tommie G (Marcelino Pedroza Jr., Patricia West, 8-1).

Blowing the field of 12 maidens out of the water in the finale on Louisiana Champions Day, Spring Run Thoroughbred Stable’s Carpis won by the open lengths while never being challenged at any call. The son of Star Guitar trained by Sam David Jr. is the first foal from the Lemon Drop Kid mare Lemon Grove. Made the 5-2 morning line favorite, the gelding will break from post 5 under Erica Murray.

With as many wins as the rest of the field combined, Norman Stables’ Strong Promise is tabbed as the 3-1 morning line second-favorite. Along with Clyde Moran Sr. and Jeff Plotkin’s Stovall, Strong Promise enters the Futurity after a disappointing run in the Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile. The Broken Vow colt trained by Jayde Gelner was sent off as the favorite but finished sixth under Florent Geroux, who returns in the irons on Sunday. If Strong Promise is able to right the ship, the Futurity would be the fourth stakes win on his resume.

Here is the complete field for the Louisiana Futurity (Boys) from the rail out (with jockey, trainer and morning line odds): 1. Tdzshininluckystar (Chris Rosier, Roy Roberts, 5-1); 2. Deacon Jones (Alfredo Contreras, Javier Ortiz, 12-1); 3. Cajun Cyclone (Gerard Melancon, Ricky Courville, 8-1); 4. Stovall (Corey Lanerie, Samuel Breaux, 9-2); 5. Carpis (Erica Murray, Sam David Jr., 5-2); 6. Take Charge J J (Rey Gutierrez, Bret Calhoun, 9-2); 7 Strong Promise (Florent Geroux, Jayde Gelner, 3-1).

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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, which is owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ Global Select Market: CHDN), also operates a slot-machine gaming facility and 16 off-track betting parlors throughout Southeast Louisiana. The 152nd Thoroughbred Racing Season–highlighted by the 111th running of the Louisiana Derby–will run from Nov. 17, 2023 through March 24, 2024. More information is available online at www.fgno.com.