by Miz Post Parade
The Gumbo Got Ya
When researching for the LeComte, I looked deeper into the Saturday card at Fair Grounds in Louisiana (which kicks off Canterbury’s Road to Kentucky Handicapping Contest), there are several notations I’d like to make. First, Mike Smith is not in Louisiana for gumbo, well, maybe, but probably not. He has more mounts than just the LeComte on the card. Second, it’s good to see the young jockey Denny Velazquez on the card at Fair Grounds. Denny took a nasty spill at Canterbury Park last summer and ruptured his spleen. I am happy to see the talented rider back in the saddle and picking up mounts for trainer Gary Scherer. Third, Eden Prairie. I’m still sore at Paul Allen for making the football reference to the Eden Prairie High School football team at Canterbury Park last year when this “ho hum” horse ran in the Lady Canterbury, but I quickly got over it. Eden Prairie is entered in the Marie Krantz Memorial at Fair Grounds on Saturday. This horse just likes to finish third. I mean, she likes to finish third. This well-traveled mare has been to Arlington, Canterbury, Kentucky Downs, Keeneland, Delta Downs and Fair Grounds and has been quite content to just barely get on the tote board. In this stakes race, however, she’ll get the enthusiastic yet patient Florent Geroux in the saddle. Florent finally got his accolades when he guided Work All Week in the Breeders Cup and has been a long-time pilot of The Pizza Man, but The Pizza Man and Work All Week are gifts, compared to the complacent Eden Prairie. Good thing for Florent, Eden Prairie loves Fair Grounds. In fact, it’s the only track where she actually knows how to find the Winner’s Circle, and she is the defending champ of the Marie Krantz Memorial. Florent will really need to get this horse motivated with the likes of Notte d’Oro, Kitten’s Dumplings and Every Way pushing her.
The Grade 3 LeComte has early Derby Points on the line (10 points to the winner). I saw the video of Runhappy at Turfway Park and the horse ran like an out-of-control toddler jacked up on Mountain Dew. He missed the break, and then caught the field on the rail, ran passed the entire field with ease, then ended up four lengths ahead of the field in an insane fraction at the half, went wide on the turn and was still eight lengths ahead going into the stretch. The stretch run was really something to witness, as Runhappy truly fits his name. He looked like he was chasing butterflies in a field! The jockey was doing everything he could to hold this horse straight, and failing, miserably at that! In fact, when the jockey got out the stick (and seriously, 8 lengths ahead!), the horse slowed down when he felt the whip. Chaos. With all that being said, this horse is FAST, and if I’m seeing the charts correctly, runs without medication (well at least the kind you can put on a chart). Buckets of Mountain Dew with his hay is not a required notation. Let’s take a look at the field.
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Condition Book and Stall Application Now Online
You’ll find the first condition book HERE as well as a stall application and all stakes information.