Fair Grounds: Spot plays for Louisiana Champions Day

Fair Grounds. (Photo by Hodges Photography)

Ten stakes races — seven for Thoroughbreds and three for Quarter Horses — are among the highlights for Louisiana Champions Day on Saturday at Fair Grounds. A showcase of Louisiana-bred talent, Louisiana Champions Day features 13 races worth a combined $1,183,000.

The final three stakes on the card are particularly compelling from a handicapping standpoint, so let’s dig in and play them on a $100 budget.

Shang 📸@hodgesphoto Strong Favorite in Champions Day Classic - Ten Restricted LA-bred Stakes Worth Over $1 Million Combined Offered Saturday. First post noon CT. Traditional 50-cent Pick Five wagers will offered in races one and nine. https://t.co/vNjvW6Ye3L pic.twitter.com/QovjennKbo
— Fair Grounds (@fairgroundsnola) December 9, 2020

Race 10: Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile S. (6 furlongs, 5:23 p.m. ET)

#4 Chu Chu’s Legacy (9-2) is 3-for-4 against Louisiana-breds and has used his excellent tactical speed to dominate the D. S. Shine Young Futurity and Louisiana Cup Juvenile S. by daylight margins.

But #6 No Pedigree (5-1) and #7 Sir Wellington (3-1) have run slightly faster on the Brisnet Speed rating scale against open company on tougher circuits.

We’ll box them with Chu Chu’s Legacy in the exacta and use all three to kick off a Pick 3.

$3 exacta box: 4,6,7 ($18)
$5 Pick 3: 4,6,7 with 2,9 with 7 ($30)

Race 11: Louisiana Champions Day Turf S. (1 1/16 miles on turf, 5:52 p.m. ET)

The middle leg of the Pick 3 looks straightforward.

#2 Budro Talking is undefeated in two starts since he was claimed by trainer Keith Austin and most recently rallied to a comfortable win in the 1 1/16-mile Louisiana Cup Turf Classic S. at Louisiana Downs.

#9 Ninety One Assault (9-5) will drop in class, after he completed in three straight open stakes races. The 7-year-old veteran has six wins from nine starts over the Fair Grounds turf course and will be tough to deny against Louisiana-breds.

We'll box Budro Talking and Ninety One Assault in the exacta, then use them equally in Pick 3 and double wagers.

$5 exacta box: 2,9 ($10)
$12 double: 2,9 with 7 ($24)

Race 12: Louisiana Champions Day Classic S. (1 1/8 miles, 6:21 p.m. ET)

#7 Shang (8-5) boasts a 4-for-5 record at Fair Grounds, including an 8 3/4-length romp in the 2019 Crescent City Derby. The 4-year-old son of Shanghai Bobby has been freshened since a victory in the July 4 Louisiana Legends Turf S. at Evangeline Downs and enters off a couple of encouraging workouts, including a bullet 5 furlongs in 1:00 Dec. 1 at Fair Grounds.

With hot jockey Ricardo Santana in the saddle for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, Shang should be tough to beat at a short price. We’ll single him in multi-race wagers, then bet him on top of a trifecta, with #4 Sydster (5-1), #5 Jus Lively (8-1), and #8 Underpressure (5-2) underneath.