Cajun Cooking
Now that the Thanksgiving leftovers are long gone and the smell of chestnuts on an open fire are still in the future, let’s try to make some hay using some Cajun cooking in the feature at the Fair Grounds on Friday.
A nice little 7-pack is the order of the day going 6 furlongs. The purse for this $40,000 optional claiming N2X fray is a solid $49,000 so the interest will be there for all involved.
Homerun Berti will try to knock one out of the park from the rail. The gelded son of Forestry will be making his first start in the Bayou and fits the conditions to a T as he comes off a tough-beat 2nd at this very level in his Churchill Downs finale.
He has the speed to flee the fence, has been ultra consistent with 3 straight 86 Beyers on his slate and he also had a useful local drill here 8 days ago.
The runner has been lightly raced to this stage, but he has a right to have a super career as his dam won almost $800,000 and she dropped near $100,000 earner Klassi Berti.
Berti is a player.
Next up is Success Success in post 2. Two of his 9 career wins have come at Fair Grounds and if you theorize he needed his last badly, you can build a case for a rebound. Proven for this $40,000 price and higher, he is in the good hands of Paul McGee and must be left in the hopper.
Back Street Heat appears to want more real estate but his connections are hoping he matures like half brother, stakes winner and over $250,000 earner Crimson Stag. Backers have to hope for a pace duel and for the race to fall apart.
Backtrack has been on a stakes diet of late but 2 of his 3 wins have been local. He caught a sloppy strip in a stakes in June and that race may have zapped him. He had to take a vacation and has not been able to close the deal since.
Returning Island Soul could have other things in mind down the line. He’s giving away some winning experience and was losing ground late in his only sprint attempt. One of the best things he has going for him is he is coming out of an ultra live race.
Four exited his last race to win and two won stakes including the Grade 2 Dwyer in New York. One can never easily toss a trainee of Steve Asmussen.
Chicago fanatics have a vehicle in Depaul, the other Asmussen charge who is also coming off a little rest. Would expect his rider, Robbie Albarado, to send hard at the sound of the bell. It is probably his best chance and it would likely soften up the other speed for his stablemate.
On the extreme outside is Dance Caller, who is a stakes winner, proven for the price and versatile enough to handle any kind of going.
How may it unfold? Look for both outside horses to be on the muscle early with the rail getting a perfect 3-hole trip. At the top of the lane Berti starts to take control in hand under Brian Hernandez and will have to hold off Success Success and Island Soul in the drive.
When the smoke clears, it’s a happy ending as the Steve Margolis student Homerun Berti is touching them all.
