Betting With, and Against, Nom de Plume, in the Broussard Memorial

December 25th, 2024

An octet of fillies and mares will travel two turns on the Fair Grounds dirt in Thursday’s $100,000 Joseph E. Spanky Broussard Memorial S. 

Nom de Plume – With

  • $6 trifecta key 2 with 1, 4,5 ($30)
  • 50-cent superfecta 2 with 1,4,5 with 1,4,5 with all ($15)

Nom de Plume – Against

  • 50-cent superfecta 1,4,5 with 1,2,4,5 with 1,2,4,5 with all ($45)

Joseph E. Spanky Broussard Memorial S. Betting Analysis

Bonne Chance Farm homebred #2 Nom de Plume (3-1) is the lukewarm morning-line choice in the field coming off a dominant triumph at Churchill Downs for conditioner Paulo Lobo. By Uncle Mo, the four-year-old has run big in her last two attempts on the dirt and will be difficult to deny with improvement off her last showing with the stretch-out in distance. Leading local pilot Jose Ortiz will be in the silks. 

While I expect the favorite to like the move to two turns in this spot, I think three other contenders have a chance if she doesn’t take to routing. 

#4 Bru Na Boinne (4-1) has scored in three of her last four dirt tries for conditioner Bret Calhoun and makes a lot of sense to me over a surface where she has run well in the past. The Arrogate four-year-old displayed a nice closing kick in a game allowance tally at Keeneland in her latest showing, and she also has the tactical speed to be involved from the start in a cast lacking a plethora of pace. Mitchell Murrill will ride the four-year-old. 

The wildcard in the field is Group 2 vixen #5 Champagne Rose (6-1), who makes her stateside debut for trainer Kenny McPeek. The Agnes Gold four-year-old is 4-for-5 in her lifetime and has posted six timed works in advance of her U.S. bow for a conditioner who is solid off the shelf, in general. The Brazilian-bred import has yet to run on the dirt and likely wants more ground with which to work, but she will be a force, nonetheless, if the main strip is to her liking. Colby Hernandez has the assignment. 

The Tom Amoss-trained #1 Hoosier Philly (7-2) is quite inconsistent, but the multiple stakes heroine can be very good on her best day, and she fits well in this field from the rail, as well. The Into Mischief four-year-old has a lot of back class and has also been facing top company for the majority of her career, so this is a realistic spot for the gray to give a nice account of herself. If the filly repeats her solid fourth in the Shawnee (G3) behind three good ones at Churchill three races back, then she will be in the hunt late under Edgar Morales.

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