Chocolate Ride will try for a third graded victory on the grass in less than 12 months Jan. 16 in the Colonel E. R. Bradley Handicap.

Chocolate Ride will try for a third graded victory on the grass in less than 12 months Jan. 16 in the Colonel E. R. Bradley Handicap.

Hodges Photography / Amanda Hodges Weir

Chocolate Ride to Try Colonel E. R. Bradley

Field also includes last year's winner, Louisiana-bred String King.

After closing out the 2015 Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots meet with a pair of graded stakes wins on the turf, Chocolate Ride will try for a third graded victory on the grass in less than 12 months Jan. 16 in the $125,000 Colonel E. R. Bradley Handicap (gr. IIIT).

Wentworth Brochu's Chocolate Ride prepped for the Bradley, a 1 1/16-mile turf race for 4-year-olds and older, with a three-length waltz to victory in a Nov. 27 allowance at the same distance on the Fair Grounds turf. Jockey Florent Geroux geared down the Candy Ride  gelding in the stretch that day.

NOVAK: Streaking Chocolate Ride Wires Mervin Muniz

Bred in Kentucky by Brian Kahn, Chocolate Ride, a gelding out of the Old Trieste mare Heatherdoesntbluff, will make his 6-year-old debut in the Bradley.

The race also features last year's winner, Louisiana-bred String King, who will try for his 14th stakes win overall and seventh on the Fair Grounds turf. The son of Crowned King scored a clear victory in last year's Bradley, beginning a season in which he registered four wins and two seconds in six starts, all stakes.

NOVAK: String King Game in Col. Bradley Victory

Now 8-years-old, this will mark the fourth straight year the Charlie Smith homebred String King has started his season in the Bradley. He finished second in the race in 2013 and fourth in 2014 before last year's victory.

Entries: Colonel E. R. Bradley H. (G3T)

Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Saturday, January 16, 2016, Race 10

  • Grade IIIT
  • About 1 1/16m
  • Turf
  • $125,000
  • 4 yo's & up
  • 4:52 PM (local)
PPHorseJockeyWgtTrainerM/L
11Blarp (KY)Colby J. Hernandez116Joe Sharp15/1
22Chocolate Ride (KY)Keeneland Sales GraduateFlorent Geroux122Brad H. Cox2/1
33Flashlight (IRE)Miguel Mena116Michael J. Maker8/1
44String King (LA)Richard E. Eramia118Charles Craig Smith8/1
55Sky Flight (KY)Keeneland Sales GraduateJulien R. Leparoux119Mark E. Casse9/2
66Majestic Harbor (KY)Keeneland Sales GraduateCorey J. Lanerie120Paul J. McGee15/1
77Roman Approval (KY)Keeneland Sales GraduateShaun Bridgmohan118Michael J. Maker5/1
88Pumpkin Rumble (PA)James Graham117Gary M. Scherer15/1
99Hot Zapper (LA)Jose Riquelme114Andrew Leggio, Jr.20/1
1010Freestyler (KY)Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.117Joe Sharp12/1
1111Potomac River (KY)Juan P. Vargas117Jeff Engler20/1
1212Ibaka (OK)Jose Valdivia, Jr.118W. Bret Calhoun12/1