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Contact: Jim Mulvihill, Communications and Pari-Mutuel Marketing Manager, 504.948.1233, james.mulvihill@fgno.com
Contact: Graham Ross, Staff Writer, 504.948.1255, graham.ross@fgno.com
desert wheat tabbed to ‘threepeat’ in mr. sulu
NEW ORLEANS (Monday, November 22, 2010) – Can Desert Wheat top the crop again in Friday’s third running of the $60,000 Mr. Sulu Stakes on the second day of Thoroughbred racing at Fair Grounds this winter?
Owned by Wachtel Stable, Brous Stable and J. D. Lee, Desert Wheat is conditioned by Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, who guided the horse to victory in the inaugural running of the Mr. Sulu in 2008, and then brought him back to repeat that score in the 2009 renewal.
Ironically, the Mr. Sulu Stakes, restricted to accredited Louisiana-breds, is named in honor of one of only two Thoroughbreds to win three times on Fair Grounds’ Louisiana Champions Day. Should Desert Wheat win Friday, he would remain as the only horse to win the stakes race scheduled at about 1 1/16-miles over the Stall-Wilson turf course during the event’s brief history.
Desert Wheat is assigned 118 pounds in the Mr. Sulu, most of which will be made up by veteran Louisiana-born reinsman Corey Lanerie Friday in his quest for a “threepeat” in the Mr. Sulu. The 7-year-old, installed as the 9-5 choice in the morning line, comes into the race off a third-place effort in third-level allowance company over Keeneland’s grass course on Oct. 13. Before that he had been absent from competition since finishing second in optional claiming company last February at Fair Grounds.
However, earlier last winter at Fair Grounds, Desert Wheat finished second by a nose in the $60,000 Dixie Poker Ace in January after winning the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Turf in December on Louisiana Champions Day at Fair Grounds. Those two outings came immediately after his win in last year’s Mr. Sulu.
Capable of providing strong competition for Desert Wheat in the Mr. Sulu is Heiligbrodt Racing Stable’s Snug, who must shoulder the top impost of 122 pounds. The 5-year-old gelding will be ridden by Gerard Melancon and is trained by Jim Hudson. Snug is coupled in the wagering with Heiligbrodt’s Hallway, who has Jamie Theriot named in the irons, gets in with 118 pounds and is conditioned by Eclipse Award-winning trainer Steve Asmussen, who is also Fair Grounds’ defending trainer champion.
Snug was most recently dominant in winning the Gold Cup at Delta Downs by 4 3/4-lengths on Nov. 5, and previously he finished fifth but was only beaten a length and a half in Louisiana Downs’ $50,000 John Franks Memorial despite a troubled trip on Aug. 28.
Hallway is returning from a pair of disappointing outings in
From the rail out, with jockeys and morning line odds included, the Mr. Sulu field is: Royal and Flashy, James Graham (12-1); Smoothcideup, Richard Eramia (10-1); Wildrally, Carlos Gonzalez (5-1); Desert Wheat, Corey Lanerie (9-5); Snug, Gerard Melancon (5-2); Sprightly Star, Chip Bourque (8-1); Hallway, Jamie Theriot (5-2); Hey Mack, Chester Bonnet (30-1); Classy Deelites, Miguel Mena (12-1); and Chief Jay, Kerwin Clark (12-1).
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
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2010-2011 Thoroughbred Racing Season Opens Nov. 25
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