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travers winner ‘ticket’ to mineshaft ’cap
· Pletcher Trainee Palace Malice Risen Star-Bound
· Rachel Alexandra-Bound Gary Stevens Wins Stakes Saturday, Sunday
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NEW ORLEANS (Tuesday, February 12, 2013) – Magic City Thoroughbred Partners’ Golden Ticket, one-half of the duo who dead-heated for the win in Saratoga’s Grade I Travers last summer, will be coming to New Orleans to make his next start in Fair Grounds’ Grade III Mineshaft Handicap Feb. 23 as part of the upcoming multi-graded stakes program billed as Louisiana Derby Preview Day Presented by Lamarque Ford.
“Even with the dead-heat, it was thrilling to win a race as big as that one,” said trainer Ken McPeek Tuesday morning when asked to recall Golden Ticket’s Travers tally. “The horse ran great, and (
“Also, it meant a lot to make some new Saratoga history at the most historic race course in this country,” McPeek said of the first declared dead-heat for the win in 143 runnings of the Travers, although in 1874, long before the invention of the photo finish camera, there was an ad
Interestingly, Golden Ticket’s win in the Travers was only the second of his career. After breaking his maiden in March, Golden Ticket had finished second in the Grade II
“He ran super in that last race,” said McPeek. “He’s acted as a solid horse ever since I got him, but I’ve always thought he was a horse that is going to get better as he got older.
“Magic City Thoroughbred Partners is a partnership between a couple of guys from
“(Golden Ticket) will arrive at Fair Grounds on Feb. 21,” McPeek said. “James Graham will ride him in the Mineshaft.”
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TODD PLETCHER TRAINEE PALACE MALICE RISEN STAR-BOUND – Five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Todd Pletcher, who won Fair Grounds’ Grade II Risen Star Stakes last season with Let’s Go Stable’s El Padrino, will try to make it two straight by sending Dogwood Stable’s Palace Malice to New Orleans for this year’s $400,000 Risen Star as the centerpiece event of four graded stakes that will make up Louisiana Derby Preview Day Presented by Lamarque Ford Feb. 23 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.
The Risen Star Stakes is the designed local tune-up for the upcoming 100th running of the $1 million
Palace Malice is a sophomore son of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin, and the colt broke his maiden at
“We can get (two-time defending
Pletcher also won the 2010 Risen Star with E. Paul Robsham Stables’ Discreetly Mine.
RACHEL ALEXANDRA-BOUND GARY STEVENS WINS STAKES SATURDAY, SUNDAY – Newly-unretired Hall of Fame
The Rachel Alexandra Stakes is Fair Grounds’ designed tune-up for the Grade II Fair Grounds Oaks, to be contested on
Stevens rode Corey Johnsen et al.’s Purim’s Dancer to victory in Santa Anita’s $75,000 Wishing Well Stakes Sunday one day after riding Phil Cunningham’s Slim Shadey to win the Grade II
Purim’s Dancer is trained by Tom Proctor, as is Midnight Ballet.
“It feels tremendous,” Stevens said after the Wishing Well, “because of guys like Tom Proctor here and everyone who has supported me through the years and giving me a shot once again…but it is good horses that put you in the winner’s circle.”
About Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots
Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, the nation’s third-oldest racetrack, 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
A Churchill Downs Incorporated Company
1751 Gentilly Boulevard,
504.948.1233 [office]
504.481.8770 [cell]
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