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Contact: Jim Mulvihill, Communications and Pari-Mutuel Marketing Manager, 504.948.1233, james.mulvihill@fgno.com
Contact: Graham Ross, Press Box, 504.948.1255, graham.ross@fgno.com
it’s a ‘go’ for jody slew in friday’s fair grounds oaks
By Graham Ross
NEW ORLEANS (Thursday, March 25, 2010) – Jody Slew, undefeated in the first two legs of Fair Grounds’ sophomore filly series, will attempt to become the first horse to sweep all three races in that grouping when she goes to the post in Friday’s 44th running of the Grade II Fair Grounds Oaks.
Owned by Martin Racing Stable and Dan Morgan, Jody Slew suffered bruises and body soreness after getting cast in her stall more than a week ago. She has been evaluated on a day-by-day basis by trainer Bret Calhoun since that setback regarding her chances of answering the bell in the
“As of right now we’re a ‘go’,” said Calhoun’s assistant trainer Jill Perry Thursday morning, speaking outside the Calhoun barn. “She seemed to be good this morning, and unless something drastic happens between now and tomorrow we will be in there.”
That was also welcome news for the owners, who were already seated on a plane for a flight from
“It’s been a blessing to us to have a filly like this one,” said Stevie Martin, the feminine half of Martin Racing Stable, whose filly was considered “doubtful” for the Oaks earlier this week. “We’re going to put this little setback behind us, and now we’re looking forward to coming back to
Ironically, Jody Slew was originally purchased to be a grass horse and was entered in the $75,000 Tiffany Lass Stakes Jan. 23 (first leg of the sophomore series) mostly because she needed a race and there was nothing on the grass for her at time. When she won that, it made no sense not to bring her back in the Grade III Silverbulletday Stakes Feb. 20, and in that second leg of the series she got up to win by a nose in the last jump after trailing the field most of the way.
Should Jody Slew win the Fair Grounds Oaks, in addition to making unprecedented Thoroughbred history in
Four of the last five Fair Grounds Oaks winners have gone on to win the Kentucky Oaks, including eventual Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra last year.
Awesome Gem ‘In the House’ for Saturday’s
West Point Thoroughbreds’ Awesome Gem arrived at Fair Grounds from her
Trained by Craig Dollase, who will not be coming to
“(Awesome Gem) jogged this morning and showed a lot of energy,” Aimee advised. “Craig got busy getting ready for the Santa Anita Derby next week and couldn’t get away. His assistant Sergio Martin came with the horse and he’ll saddle him for the race.”
However, it was Aimee Dollase who saddled Arnold Zetcher’s Zardana to upset Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra in the $200,000 New Orleans Handicap two weeks ago and the young horsewoman had a theory about why Awesome Gem runs so well when he ships out of California.
“He seems to run his best races the first time he gets off the synthetic surfaces after several races on them,” she said of Awesome Gem, who flew to Chicago to capture the Grade II Hawthorne Gold Cup last October and also invaded Emerald Downs in the vicinity of Seattle, Washington, to finish a close second in the Grade III Longacres Mile last August.
In addition to Awesome Gem, Wednesday’s equine charter from California was to have included Gallagher Equine’s Red Alert Day to be a contestant in Saturday’s Grade II Mervin Muniz Memorial Handicap, also on the Louisiana Derby Day program, but that reservation was cancelled by Hall of Fame trainer Neil Drysdale following a last minute change of plans for his British-bred gelding.
Did that bump up the cost of the flight for Awesome Gem?
“I really don’t know for sure, but I don’t think it could affect the price of the flight too much,” Aimee Dollase said. “There were other horses on that plane that got dropped off at Oaklawn, and there were still others aboard that were going on to South Florida after the stop in
Spanky Taking a Second Shot
Veteran New Orleans-born trainer Spanky Broussard saddled Richard Rudolph and Michael Vranich’s Stonehouse to win Fair Grounds’ Grade III Mineshaft Handicap Feb. 20 as the final designed local prep for Saturday’s Grade II New Orleans Handicap on Louisiana Derby Day, and the conditioner was asked to assess his chances of repeating that upset this weekend.
“That’s a tough, tough race he’s going to be in Saturday,” said Broussard Wednesday morning, “but we’re going to take a little shot in there and see what happens.”
What happened last time was that Stonehouse paid $35.60 to win when he closed with a late rush to defeat Tom McCarthy’s General Quarters by a neck, and that owner-trainer of last spring’s Blue Grass winner was quick to compliment his late replacement gallop boy of the last three days – Ramiro Ramirez – for his excellent judgment once again Wednesday morning.
“(General Quarters) was going along at a nice open gallop this morning when another horse went right by him in a full gallop,” McCarthy said. “Naturally, my horse started to go right after him but Ramiro was able to ease him back down gradually. You can’t take too much of a hold in a situation like that because you’ll cause the horse to swerve, but Ramiro played it cool once again. He’s an excellent gallop boy – I’ve watched him gallop horses for years up in
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Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, the nation’s third-oldest Thoroughbred racing facility, has been in operation since 1872. Located in
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James J. Mulvihill
Communications & Pari-Mutuel Marketing Manager
Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots
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