(Hang The Moon / Photo Courtesy of the Fair Grounds)
From the Fair Grounds Media Team:
A trio of Oaks-dreaming connections have actually awakened to the truth that their fillies may be much better fit to the grass. Chop Chop, Hang the Moon, and Hayunevano, all current individuals in Kentucky Oaks points races, are gone into in Saturday’s 16th running of the $75,000 Allen “Black Cat” LaCombe Memorial Stakes.
The female edition of last Saturday’s $75,000 Black Gold Stakes, won by the Cox runner Wonderful Justice, sees a field of 8 sophomores attract to run about one mile over the Stall Wilson grass course. Fields stay minimal to 8 runners as the portable rail is located 34 feet out of the rail. Slated as Race 8 of 9, post time for the LaCombe is scheduled for 5:27 p.m. CT.
Named for Fair Grounds’ most notorious bon vivant and raconteur, Allen “Black Cat” LaCombe functioned as promotion director and early morning line oddsmaker for years, and his picture awaits the Press Box Hall of Fame. His misfortune peaked on a day when he openly chose the winner of 9 races, however in some way handled to lose money wagering the card.
Could a race called for a cursed New Orleans bettor be the remedy for the money-burning 3-year-old filly Chop Chop? The notorious underlay of the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Friday card was sent when again as the preferred when making her 3-year-old launching in the Silverbulletday. She won neither race, and in truth Selective LLC’s Chop Chop has actually not won a race because blitzing out as a freshman to win her very first 2. Both were throughout the grass.
The City of Light filly out of the Giant’s Causeway mare Grand Sophia debuted going 2 turns over company grass at Ellis Park and after that backed that efficiency up over the yielding sod of Kentucky Downs, winning the $500,000 Juvenile Fillies. Both races were at the LaCombe range of about one mile.
The Cox barn attempted blinkers on Chop Chop prior to the Rachel Alexandra (G2) however that didn’t help any which equipment has actually rapidly been eliminated after she ended up a flat fifth of 6. Chop Chop will get a rider modification as the Cox barn seeks to blend things up for their entries, switching Corey Lanerie off De Broglio Racing’s Beyond Doubt to ride Chop Chop and vice versa with Florent Geroux.
Nine open-company stakes races composed for the crop of 2020 have actually been run up until now this satisfy at Fair Grounds, and the Cox barn has actually won 7 of them, most just recently with Wonderful Justice in the Black Gold. Before that they scored with Angel of Empire in the Risen Star (G2), Instant Coffee in the Lecomte (G3), The Alys Look in the Silverbulletday, Jace’s Road in the Gun Runner, Corona Bolt in the Sugar Bowl, and Dazzling Blue in the Letellier. The other 2 were both won by Pretty Mischievous from Brendan Walsh’s barn (Rachel Alexandra [G2] and the Untapable).
CJ Thoroughbreds’ Hang the Moon (visualized) required to the grass with aplomb, taking a trip largest of all runners and flashing among the most remarkable late relocations of the Fair Grounds satisfy when beating Beyond Doubt going 1 1/16 miles in January. The Stidham barn flirted with a perform at the Oaks for their Uncle Mo filly out of the Malibu Moon dam Moondance however she ended up fifth in the Untapable. Brian Hernandez Jr. maintains the install after assisting her effectively in January’s optional declaring allowance. If Hang the Moon’s 4 progressive works signify things to come, then she must be prepared to take a good advance in the LaCombe.
The Amoss barn seeks to win back-to-back “Black Cat’s, sending 2 current maiden-breakers. Both Joel Politi’s Camp Akeela and Jerry Caroom and Jeffrey Lambert’s Girl Named Charlie seek to string grass triumphes together with opposing techniques. Politi and Amoss collaborated to win in 2015’s edition when their filly Kneesnhips notoriously bid along the outdoors rail where jockey James Graham was advised to be close enough to high-five Amoss near the goal. On Feb. 26, Camp Akeela (5-1 ML), their latest appealing grass filly, flew out to the lead and never ever recalled, circuitry a field of 7 and making a 76 Brisnet Speed figure.
In mid-January, Girl Named Charlie (8-1 ML) ran versus the viewed grass predisposition, closing up the wide-open rail as the field defended position on the external fence. For that vibrant effort she ran a 79 Brisnet Speed figure. Both Amoss fillies are formful, well-bred, and considered similarly most likely to win according to their square early morning line chances. Amoss, the New Orleans native, understands much better than to appear to a race called for Black Cat without a bunny’s foot.
When it concerns attempting a brand-new surface area – hi, you never ever understand. Though she has just one win to her name, Wing and A Prayer Racing’s Hayunevano has actually held her own versus the similarity 3 Oaks-roadway fillies, completing 4th most just recently to Southlawn in an allowance, 3rd to The Alys Look in the Silverbulletday, and 4th to Pretty Mischievous in the Untapable. But looking past the surface order, there have actually been a combined 33 lengths in between her and the leading finishers. If pronounced properly, the Sam David Jr. student has a name Allen LaCombe and most any difficult luck bettor might support, and a story to boot.
The Goldencents filly out of the Munnings dam Classic Vision was a present to owners Stewart Dimak and James Pittman.
“Before the sale at Ocala, the farrier nicked her hooves too close,” Dimak said. “They breezed her anyways, and of course she ran slow, making her unsaleable. So the breeder called me up and said ‘I’ve got a filly who needs a job.’ He sent me videos of her breezing with a colt, and I saw she was a monster. I said, ‘well if she needs a job, I’m hiring.’”
Morning line oddsmaker Mike Diliberto hangs an appealing 8-1 rate around Hayunevano which will undoubtedly set numerous a bettor to imagining capturing a huge rate in the LaCombe, specifically if their day’s luck has actually gone the instructions of the Black Cat.
Here is the total field for the “Black Cat” LaCombe Stakes from the rail out (with jockey, fitness instructor, and early morning line): 1. Chop Chop (Corey Lanerie, Brad Cox, 9-5); 2. Blame Day (Deshawn Parker, Bret Calhoun, 8-1); 3. Hang the Moon (Brian Hernandez Jr., Mike Stidham, 4-1); 4. Hayunevano (Marcelino Pedroza Jr., Sam David Jr., 8-1); 5. Beautifulnavigator (James Graham, Ken McPeek, 10-1); 6. Camp Akeela (Mitchell Murrill, Tom Amoss, 8-1); 7. Beyond Doubt (Florent Geroux, Brad Cox, 6-1); 8. Girl Named Charlie (Edgar Morales, Tom Amoss, 5-1).
