Snow Dance Favored in Bayou Handicap

(from track report)
The $150,000 Bayou Breeders' Cup Handicap at Fair Grounds and Mother Nature need to make up.

The last two years, the richest turf race for older fillies and mares at the meet has been transferred to the main track. The weather forecast for Saturday calls for only a 20 percent chance of rain, meaning the about 1 1/8-mile event may stay on the grass.

The 2-1 morning line favorite is multiple graded stakes winner Snow Dance, who makes her 5-year-old debut for owner John Oxley and trainer John Ward.

Snow Dance has not been in an ungraded stakes race since winning a conditioned allowance race on July 30, 2001 at Saratoga. The expected favorite under Craig Perret will break from the rail.

Histoire Sainte, who won this race the last time it was contested on the turf in 2000, suffered her first loss from five starts over the Fair Grounds course in allowance company on Jan. 30.

Owned by Gary Tanaka and trained by Steve Asmussen, Histoire Sainte drew the ninth post position in the scheduled 11-horse field.

One mare that should appreciate the added distance of the Bayou is graded stakes winner Quick Tip. The Neil Howard trainee is coming off a pair of second-place finishes at shorter distances on the turf this meet and gets Robby Alabrado back in the irons.

$150,000 Bayou Breeders' Cup Handicap, fillies & mare 4 & up, about 1 1/8 mile on turf
PP (Rider, Wgt.)
1. Snow Dance (Craig Perret, 119)
2. Spectacular Dove (Calvin Borel, 114)
3. Lush Soldier (Kirk LeBlanc, 115)
4. Bag of Stars (Larry Melancon, 110)
5. Quick Tip (Robby Albarado, 116)
6. Dyna Penny (Donnie Meche, 110)
7. Old Money (Frank Lovato Jr., 114)
8. Dynamic Lady (Eddie Martin Jr., 112)
9. Histoire Sainte (Shane Sellers, 118)
10. Caught In The Rain (Corey Lanerie, 116)
11. Bala (Brice Blanc, 110)