Pick 3 of the Week: Fair Grounds Saturday, March 21

Fair Grounds will host a huge day of racing on Saturday during their penultimate day of the meeting. 

Race 7 Wager:

• $2 Pick 3: 3,4,9,11 with 1,3,5,10,12 with 4 ($40)

Race 7 – Maiden Special Weight

A total of 11 sophomores will dash six panels on the main oval in the opening leg. I love to back first-time starters on big days, and numerous debuting types look well meant in the opening leg. Steve Asmussen’s #3 Armet (6-1), the Eddie Kenneally-trained #4 Radar Lock (6-1), Cherie Devaux’s #9 Not to Worry (4-1), and #11 Mr. All In (10-1) are the four that I will use in a challenging way to start the play. 

Race 8 – Costa Rising S. 

An overflow field of 13 Cajun-bred runners will travel 5 1/2 panels on the lawn in the second portion of the wager. #1 Nine Part (3-1) is a neck shy of being unbeaten in his lifetime and was excellent off the layoff while making his turf debut last time out. The Joseph Felks pupil is a must-use with Jose Ortiz retaining the mount. 

The talented #3 Hay Jude (5-1) is not impossible in the heat with blinkers on for his grassy bow. The Tom Amoss trainee has good current form and will have Isaac Castillo on board. #5 Monsieur Candy (9-2) was second in the tilt in 2025 and will make his second appearance since joining the Larry Rivelli shedrow. #10 Smash It (10-1) is stakes placed in his only turf sprint to date, while the lightly raced #12 Dr. My Eyes (20-1) drops back in with state-bred runners following a smart allowance try with open foes most recently. 

Race 9 – New Orleans Classic (G2)

Six will vie in the closing leg, where five have already broken through at the stakes level, except for my top pick. Todd Pletcher’s #4 Life and Times (6-1) ran a pair of fantastic races in the Empire State in the latter part of 2025 and looked like a star in the making. The Justify gelding was outrun and Gulfstream Park behind Knightsbridge in his five-year-old unveiling, but he has trained rapidly as of late, and I love the aggressive placement here from his connections. I expect the well-bred bay to thrive going two turns for the initial time with Flavien Prat taking the reins.