Santa Super Saturday at Fair Grounds
Five $60,000 stakes races highlight the Fair Grounds card on Saturday. Spend A Buck H. (G3) winner Mad Flatter didn’t fare well in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) last out, but the Jeff Thornbury trainee will be plenty tough with his best in the $60,000 Tenacious H. The five-year-old son of Flatter shows three wins over this surface and put in a nice five furlongs in preparation of this test. Dubious Miss, sixth in this one as the favorite last year, hard-knocker Recapturetheglory and Hanshin H. (G3) upsetter Country Flavor are among the main threats to the favorite.s
A fleet field of 11 will dash on the turf in the $60,000 Bonapaw S. Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G2) runner-up Central City is clearly the one to beat for trainer Ronny Werner. The high quality son of City Place won twice on this main oval and should be very tough with something close to his top showing. Turf Sprint sixth Due Date, Grade 2 hero Backtalk and Rumson S. star Cool Bullet, are among the top threats to the choice.
Multiple stakes heroine Lady Alexander, turf stakes vixen Greeley’s Rocket and the once-beaten Wildcat Heiress, lead the field in the $60,000 Esplanade S.
The $60,000 Letellier Memorial S. for juvenile fillies attracted six, including the Steve Asmussen-trained Fastation, who has rolled to four stakes wins in a row, Prairie Meadows stakes victress Big Sweets, Sorority S. winner Unbridled Praise and Bassinet S. romper Fiscal Policy.
In the $60,000 Sugar Bowl S. for two-year-olds, Cheyann Belief, Joe Hollywood and Gonna Tell Mama are the ones to beat.