Just For Fun Stable’s Decisive Moment and Prime Equestrian S.A.R.L.’s Flash Mash could be the respective favorites when the fields for the Jean Lafitte Stakes and My Trusty Cat Stakes go to post Jan. 14 at Delta Downs Racetrack & Casino.
The one-mile Jean Lafitte for 3-year-olds is worth $250,000. The seven-furlong My Trusty Cat carries a purse of $200,000 and is for 3-year-old fillies.
Decisive Moment, second in the $1 million Boyd Gaming Delta Jackpot (gr. III) Nov. 20 at the Louisiana track, is yet another Calder Casino & Race Course-based colt that has done well upon leaving Florida. The Florida homebred by With Distinction finished a strong second behind Gourmet Dinner in the Jackpot as the only speed horse in the race to hold his ground from start to finish.
Local rider Kerwin Clark again has the call aboard Decisive Moment for trainer Juan Arias.
Also in the field is Thomas Galvin’s Su Casa G Casa, who lost by a neck in the Nov. 20 Louisiana Legacy Stakes for state-breds at Delta Downs but returned to win the Louisiana Juvenile for state-breds Dec. 11 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. The son of During has three wins and two seconds in five starts for trainer Bret Calhoun.
Regular rider Carlos Gonzales has the call on Su Casa G Casa.
In the My Trusty Cat, the speedy Flash Mash, trained by Mike Stidham and to be ridden by Anna Napravnik, will try two turns for the first time. The Kentucky-bred filly by Smarty Jones is two-for-two with a maiden victory on the Keeneland Polytrack Oct. 24 and a 10 ¼-length romp in first-level allowance company on dirt at Fair Grounds.
Both races were at six furlongs. Flash Mash shows a strong six-furlong work at Fair Grounds, however, in preparation for her attempt at one mile.
Calhoun will send out Carl R. Moore Management’s Grandacious, who led most of the way in the Nov. 20 Boyd Gaming Delta Princess at Delta Downs only to come up three-quarters of a length short of the wire in a third-place finish. Jesse Campbell is named to ride the Kentucky-bred Grand Slam filly.
The Jan. 14 program begins at 6:05 p.m. CST. The My Trusty Cat is race seven and the Jean Lafitte race nine on a 10-race program.
$250,000 Jean Lafitte Stakes (Race 9, 9:35 p.m. CST), 3YO, One mile
PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. One Star Freedom (NY) D Saenz 117 O I Inirio
2. Santo Gato (KY) B J Hernandez, Jr. 115 M R Scherer
3. Decisive Moment (FL) K D Clark 117 J D Arias
4. Trubs (KY) T Agilar 119 A M Stall, Jr.
5. Su Casa G Casa (LA) C Gonzalez 117 W B Calhoun
6. Expecting Cash (KY) G Melancon 117 S M Asmussen
7. Artic Sea (LA) S Laviolette 117 A Milligan
8. Would You (KY) D E Simington 115 A Milligan
$200,000 My Trusty Cat Stakes (Race 7, 8:41 p.m. CST), 3YOF, Seven furlongs
PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. Street Storm (KY) M Mena 117 S Margolis
2. Grandacious (KY) J M Campbell 119 W B Calhoun
3. Little Widow Maker (KY) R R Singh 122 C E Smith
4. Tensas Punch (LA) B J Hernandez, Jr. 122 M R Scherer
5. Flash Mash (KY) A R Napravnik 119 M Stidham
6. Forest Sky (KY) K D Clark 119 A Cioffi
7. Dixieland Bull (FL) D E Simington 117 J S Schultz
8. Holy Heavens (FL) N Puello 117 B Chatters
9. Gran Lioness (KY) J Theriot 119 W B Calhoun
