Mystery Giver Favored to Repeat at Fair Grounds

(from track report)
Former winners Mystery Giver and Candid Glen return to familiar ground in Saturday's $150,000 Fair Grounds Breeders' Cup Stakes on the turf.

Scheduled for about 1 1/8 mile on the Stall-Wilson turf course, the Fair Grounds Breeders' Cup, the race features Mystery Giver, a lukewarm morning-line favorite at 3-1 after winning last year's edition, and 2001 winner Candid Glen, who is listed at 5-1.

Team Block's Mystery Giver ships back into Richard Scherer's barn for the second straight winter.

Mystery Giver finished second in the Woodchopper last year before winning this race. The son of Dynaformer opens his 5-year-old season off a close second-place finish in the Great State Challenge Turf at Sam Houston.

The top four finishers from the Col. E.R. Bradley Handicap at Fair Grounds should make their presence felt, especially co-highweight Royal Spy. Royal Spy collected an impressive front-running score in the Bradley for trainer Tom Amoss.

Mystery Giver and Royal Spy will each carry 117 pounds.

The only shipper is McKee Stables' Foster's Landing from the Dale Romans shed row.

Foster's Landing, who drew the rail, just missed the winner's circle by a nose in the River City Handicap (gr. IIT) at Churchill Downs in his last start. Eddie Martin Jr. has the mount.

$150,000 Fair Grounds Breeders' Cup Handicap, 4 & up, 1 1/8 mile on turf
PP. Horse, (Jockey, Wgt., ML Odds)
1. Foster's Landing (Eddie Martin Jr., 112, 8-1)
2. Devil Time (Larry Melancon, 112, 15-1)
3. Holy Conflict (Corey Lanerie, 112, 12-1)
4. Royal Spy (Calvin Borel, 117, 4-1)
5. Freefourinternet (Shane Sellers, 113, 9-2)
6. Dynameaux (Roman Chapa, 115, 6-1)
7. Candid Glen (E.J. Perrodin, 115, 5-1)
8. Skate Away (Gerard Melancon, 115, 15-1)
9. Mystery Giver (Robby Albarado, 117, 3-1)