1751 Gentilly Blvd.,
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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
saturday’s la. champions day post time 12:10 p.m.
Also:
· Kitty Love ‘Fine’ Following Disappointing Pago Hop Run
· Saturday’s Two Stakes Winners Both Doing Well Sunday
· Jockey John Jacinto Recovering in Good Spirits
· Fair Grounds Chaplaincy Updates This Season
· Fair Grounds Sunday Catholic Mass at 9 a.m. Next Week
By Graham Ross, Staff Writer
NEW ORLEANS (Sunday, December 05, 2010) – Guests of Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots and fans of the New Orleans oval’s simulcast signal should note that this coming Saturday on Louisiana Champions Day there will be a special early first post of 12:10 p.m. Central Standard Time.
The first three races on Saturday’s Louisiana Champions Day program will be stakes for American Quarter Horses. Ten races for Thoroughbreds will be run, including eight stakes.
Also, although Fair Grounds’ regular Saturday post time will remain at 12:40 p.m. for its 2010-2011 meeting, an early first post time of 12:10 p.m. will also be in effect on Road to the Derby Kickoff Day (Lecomte Stakes Day) on Jan 22, Louisiana Derby Preview Day (Risen Star Day) on Feb. 19, and Louisiana Derby Day on March 26.
KITTY LOVE ‘FINE’ FOLLOWING DISAPPOINTING PAGO HOP RUN – Augustin Stable’s Kitty Love, who failed to fire in Saturday’s 25th anniversary edition of Fair Grounds’ $60,000 Pago Hop Stakes as the 9-5 choice in the wagering, came out of her race without incident and was doing well Sunday morning.
“I think she’s fine,” said her Hall of Fame trainer Jonathan Sheppard, reached by phone on Sunday morning following his brief visit to
SATURDAY’S TWO STAKES WINNERS BOTH DOING WELL SUNDAY – Pin Oak Stable’s Strike Again, winner of Saturday’s fifth running of the $60,000 Buddy Diliberto Memorial Handicap, and Darrell and Lendy Brown’s Valli With a Vow, heroine of the $60,000 Pago Hop Stakes later in the afternoon, both came out of their races in good order and were doing well Sunday morning according to their respective connections, Pin Oak trainer Malcolm Pierce and Valli With a Vow’s assistant trainer Ruth Schmidt.
Coincidentally, both Pierce and Schmidt are based at Woodbine in
Following Woodbine’s closing day (Dec. 5) Pierce will be joined his wife Sally (also his exercise rider), who will be driving to Fair Grounds from north of the border, and Schmidt reports that her employer, trainer Josie Carroll, will also shortly be headed south to Fair Grounds from Woodbine.
JOCKEY JOHN JACINTO RECOVERING IN GOOD SPIRITS – Veteran jockey John Jacinto, who was off to a good start at Fair Grounds this season before suffering a broken wrist when unseated from a horse during training hours Thursday morning, remains in his usual positive spirits despite his second setback locally in the last two years while in the midst of a hot streak.
“It’s OK,” said Jacinto when asked about the mishap Saturday after the races. “These things happen. It’s part of the business. They tell me I’ll be ready to ride again in four to six weeks.”
Jacinto suffered a broken collarbone at Fair Grounds while in the midst of a hot streak two years ago.
FAIR GROUNDS CHAPLAINCY UPDATES THIS SEASON – Chaplain Waverly Parsons, excited to be back at Fair Grounds for his fourth season representing the Race Track Chaplaincy of America, reports the following additions to the local program this season.
“We are going to have a shuttle bus in place shortly to take members of the backstretch community to and from the local Wal-Mart without charge to help assist them with their essential needs,” said Chaplain Parsons. “Also, we are starting up a Spanish-language Alcoholics Anonymous program that is long overdue, since many of the members of our community are Hispanic and I don’t speak Spanish. I’ve been trying to get that in place for some time now and we’ve finally got it done.”
FAIR GROUNDS SUNDAY CATHOLIC MASS AT 9 A.M. NEXT WEEK – Fair Grounds’ traditional Sunday Mass, normally celebrated at 10 a.m. in the Black Gold Room of the Derby Building immediately adjacent to the Fair Grounds Grandstand by Father Edmund Akordor, will be celebrated at 9 a.m. next Sunday (Dec. 12) only, according to Sandra Salmen of Fair Grounds Horsemen’s Relations.
“Father Edmund has been asked to lead the 25th anniversary celebration of one of his fellow priests at our normal time next week,” said Salmen. “That is a tremendous honor for him and we were happy to oblige him by holding our mass an hour earlier. After next week, we will return to our normal time of 10 a.m.
Father Edmund, a native of Ghana who has lived in the United States for 15 years, followed Father John Halloran in conducting Fair Grounds on-track mass three years ago.
Father John, who left
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]
504.944.7853 [fax]
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