Fair Grounds racing trends

Louisiana native Ron Faucheux has remained dedicated to racing strictly in his home state, and the result has paid off tremendously, with 126 victories from 515 starts over the last five years at Fair Grounds.

This season, he has 65 horses in his barn, with close to 20 two-year-olds. Among them, Faucheux is high on six-year-old Bertie's Galaxy, who is 3-for-4 in 2022 and entered in the Monte Man S. on Saturday, Nov. 19, as well as seven-year-old mare Fame Feather (4-2-0-0 in 2022), who is slated to run in Friday's Happy Ticket S., and juvenile Not On Herb, who triumphed on debut on Oct. 7 at Delta Downs.

Second on the wins list since 2017 is Tom Amoss, who has won at a 29% clip with a 4.68 return on investment. Amoss' biggest victories at Fair Grounds include the Lecomte with Mo Tom in 2016 and the Risen Star in 1994 with Fly Cry.

Steve Asmussen is another prominent trainer at Fair Grounds who is a three-time winner of the Lecomte and Risen Star, and a four-time champion of the Louisiana Derby.

Last season, Asmussen triumphed in both the Risen Star and Louisiana Derby with Kentucky Derby (G1) favorite and second-place finisher Epicenter. He also trained Louisiana Derby and Risen Star hero Gun Runner, the namesake of the Gun Runner S., which first began in 2021.

Brad Cox, fifth in wins since 2017, saddled 2021 Kentucky Derby winner Mandaloun, who triumphed in the Risen Star along the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

He's also a back-to-back winner in the Fair Ground Oaks (G2), a major prep for the Kentucky Oaks (G1).

Cox has been even more successful on turf at Fair Grounds, with 113 victories from 441 starts and $4,167,308 in earnings since 2017. He also earned his 1,000th career win at Fair Grounds when Play On scored in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight on turf back on Nov. 18, 2018.

Cox is a record-tying three-time winner in the Fair Grounds S. (G3) on turf, scoring with Chocolate Ride in 2015 and 2016 and with Factor This in 2020. Factor This also won the 1 1/8-mile Muniz Memorial Classic (G2) at Fair Grounds in 2020.

Michael Stidham, the third-winningest trainer on turf since 2017, has two victories in the Fair Grounds S., both with Synchrony in 2018 and 2019, and won the Muniz Memorial with the same horse in 2018.

Not only does James Graham have the most wins on dirt at Fair Grounds by a jockey since 2017, but he's been particularly successful when paired up with Tom Amoss over the last five years, with 86 wins from 357 rides. The pair won the Lecomte together back in 2010 with Ron the Greek and visited the winner's circle in the Rachel Alexandra (G2) in 2019 with Serengeti Empress, who went on to win the Kentucky Oaks that season.

Since 2017, Mitchell Murrill has the second most victories on dirt, with 216. He has been most successful when paired with trainer Chris Hartman (44 wins from 146 starts) and Joseph Foster (36 wins from 255 starts).

The fourth-winningest jockey on dirt, Adam Beschizza, is one half of the winningest trainer/jockey combo of the last five years at Fair Grounds. He and Joe Sharp have combined to win 117 times from 559 starts and have earned $3,090,295 together.

Other prominent trainer/jockey duos at the track include Brad Cox and Florent Geroux, with 84 wins from 304 starts, and Cox with Shaun Bridgmohan (64 wins from 198 starts). Bridgmohan was the rider for Factor This in 2020 and has won a number of stakes at Fair Grounds with Steve Asmussen.

Colby Hernandez, the younger brother of jockey Brian Hernandez Jr., has 49 wins from 256 rides for trainer Karl Broberg, and 45 wins from 246 rides for Al Stall Jr.

As for sires who have produced the most winners at Fair Grounds in the last five years, Count Fleet H. (G3) winner Custom for Carlos has earned 77 wins from 638 starts, four more victories than the progeny of Star Guitar, a multiple stakes winner on the Louisiana circuit.

Three-time leading North American sire Into Mischief has produced the fourth most victories (60) since 2017, while Tapit and Curlin are responsible for 32 and 27 wins, respectively.

On turf, Into Mischief is the leading sire at Fair Grounds in the last five years, generating 27 wins from 173 starts, while Ghostzapper has gained 20 wins from 85 starts by his offspring.

The Factor is tied for second with Ghostzapper, followed by Breeders' Cup Turf (G1) champ English Channel (19), Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) winner Artie Schiller (18), multiple graded stakes winners Paddy O'Prado (18) and City Zip (17), U.S. champion male turf horse Kitten's Joy (16), and Cougar II H. (G3) hero Temple City (16).