Hallowed Dreams and Roxelana highlight a speedy eight-horse field entered in Saturday's $75,000 Pan Zareta Handicap at Fair Grounds. Joining these two rivals in this six-furlong dash on the main track is the defending champion, Steal A Heart. Hallowed Dreams, the filly trained by Lloyd Romero, showed game determination winning an allowance race from the outside post position on Dec. 29 after a two-month layoff. Sylvester Carmouche will once again ride the Louisiana-bred filly, who won 16 consecutive races to start her career, tying the North American record for consecutive victories. She is 18 for 19 in her career. Roxelana comes off the shelf for trainer Blackie Huffman after a successful 3-year-old season that included four straight wins to open her career. Before injuring a shoulder, Roxelana won the grade III La Troienne at Churchill Downs in May. Larry Melancon gets back aboard the 2-1 morning line favorite, who makes her first start since Oct. 11. Hallowed Dreams just held off Fiesty Countess in their last race together on Dec. 29. Fiesty Countess, part of Steve Asmussen's coupled entry with My Brent's Diamond, closed well in that race, losing to Hallowed Dreams by a neck. Donnie Meche is named on both halves of the Asmussen entry.
Steal a Heart was a convincing winner in allowance company in her last start on Jan. 15. In eight starts at Fair Grounds the last two years, the Jeffrey Amling-owned, Alice Cohn-trained mare has four wins, a second and a third-place finish. Steal a Heart and Hallowed Dreams are the co-highweights at 119 pounds. The rest of Saturday's field includes (with jockeys) My Alibi (Lonnie Meche), Glitters (Curt Bourque) and Enquiry Woman (Frank Lovato Jr.). The historic Pan Zareta Handicap is named after the winningest racemare in the history of American turf. Pan Zareta won 76 times in 151 starts and is honored each year after the race when the winning jockey places a wreath of flowers at the foot of the grave marker on the infield.