Fair Grounds Pick 4 Play for Saturday

A quartet of black-type races for Cajun-bred runners will highlight a very good card at Fair Grounds on Saturday. A trio of the stakes tussles occur during the latter portion of the afternoon and help comprise the late Pick 4. 

Race 7 Wagers:

• 50-cent Pick 4: 2,3,5,6 with 3 with 2,7,8,10 with 3,6 ($16)
• $1 Pick 4 2,3,5,6 with 3 with 2,7,8,10 with 3 ($16)

Race 7 – Andrew Ney Memorial S. 

A cast of 11 will go postward in the six-furlong dash on the dirt. #3 El Dinero (6-1) has a fine turn of foot, as well as a 4-2-2-0 local line, for conditioner Patrick Devereux. The El Deal gelding will make one run late and have James Graham in the irons. 

#5 Mike J (10-1), #6 Bron and Brow (3-1), and expected pacesetter #2 Geaux Sugar (12-1), will also be included in the opening leg. 

Race 8 – Jacob V. Morreale Memorial S. 

This two-turn test on the dirt for the boys attracted 10. The Shane Wilson-trained #3 Behemah Star (4-1) failed as the favorite in the race last season, and his current form is not great, but he loves Fair Grounds and I expect him to be a major contender in the contest. The Star Guitar gelding dons a 12-5-6-0 mark locally and comes in fresh with Jose Rodriguez in the stirrups. He is a fairly aggressive single, but I feel good about his chances. 

Race 9 – Allowance/ Optional Claiming

A full field of talented performers will vie in the challenging third leg of the wager. I was tempted to use all of the entrants but will narrow down my selections to four runners in the deep contest. #7 Create Trouble (9-2) is 2-for-2 on the lawn by a combined 7 1/4 lengths for trainer Rob Atras, and the son of Into Mischief is a must-use. The four-year-old gelding has good early foot and will be well placed throughout the race with Jaime Torres accepting the mount.

Grade 2 winner #8 Verstappen (10-1) might appreciate both the class relief and the cut back in distance, at a nice price for Brendan Walsh. Michael Stidham’s #10 Gray’s Fable (7-2) and Walsh’s #2 Evan Harlan (6-1) will also make my ticket. 

Race 10 – John Valene Memorial S. 

Fillies and mares will run two turns in the finale, and morning-line choice #3 Free Like A Girl (3-5) seems like a formidable contender. The five-year-old mare was twice Grade-1 placed earlier in 2024, and she sports a 10-5-3-0 mark on the course, too. Cajun-bred bay comes in with a pair of wins in succession and will be a popular single for conditioner Chasey Pomier. 

I feel that in order to upend the favorite, you will have to rally and catch her from off the pace. #6 Accommodate Eva (6-1) is a bit of a stretch after showing little in a pair of starts in the summer since joining the Ducoing barn, but she has trained swiftly in preparation for Saturday and possesses arguably the best turn of foot in the field. The Munnings sophomore bagged two stakes races on the oval in the winter and is the best alternative to the chalk with Ben Curtis in the silks.