Fair Grounds - Race 2
#4 ROYAL FLOWER (9/2 ml)
This first time starter for Asmussen (who brought $1.2 million at the Keeneland yearling sale) is actually a half-brother to Asmussen' s multiple graded stakes winner YAUPON, who is 6-for-8 lifetime and most recently won the G1 Forego Stakes at Saratoga last summer. ROYAL FLOWER also comes into this race with an interesting worktab, having worked in December with AMERICAN XPERIMENT, an impressive 5-length winner at Saratoga last year who came out of that drill with ROYAL FLOWER to finish a close second (beaten less than a length) in an allowance race at Oaklawn last month (with today's rider Joel Rosario aboard). ROYAL FLOWER also appears to have worked with BOMBDIGGITY on Feb 6, who came out of that recent drill to win by 6 lengths here yesterday. Expecting a good run.
Fair Grounds - Race 4
#9 MARSALIS (7/2 ml)
Another Asmussen firster here, this one is half brother to PAULINE'S PEARL, a multiple graded stakes winner for Asmussen who most recently won the Houston Ladies Classic at SHRP on Jan 30. The first thing that caught my eye here was that MARSALIS may have worked on New Year's Eve with unraced SCOTLAND YARD (more on him in a second), who appeared to have outworked Race 2 pick ROYAL FLOWER from the gate on Jan 9. Next up, MARSALIS went with ST ANDREWS, who had most recent won gate-to-wire at Fair Grounds on Dec 26. Following that, MARSALIS went with FEROCIOUSLY, who exited that drill to win at Fair Grounds on Jan 22 (with today's rider Rosario abaord). MARSALIS may also have gone with the BOMBDIGGITY/ROYAL FLOWER combo on Feb 6. Looks live here.
Fair Grounds - Race 6
#6 SCOTLAND YARD (5/1 ml)
More Asmussen firsters here. SCOTLAND YARD appears to have worked with Race 4 pick MARSALIS on Dec 31, then appeared to outwork Race 2 pick ROYAL FLOWER from the gate on Jan 9 (one click faster of the pair). He later worked with GUNTOWN (who has run in 3 stakes races in a row, and is entered in Race 8 today as a first-time gelding), before apparently working with one or both of the afore-mentioned STELLAR TAP and/or CHARCO on Feb. 7 (CHARCO came out of that drill to win an allowance race by 5 lengths here on Thursday). Lastly, SCOTLAND YARD appears to have worked with Risen Star entrant EPICENTER in his most recent drill. Appears very much well-meant, although Rosario turns up on KING OTTOMAN. Both seem live; tough call between the two (note that SCOTLAND YARD is listed first, meaning he's the top pick/official pick).
#9 KING OTTOMAN (5/1 ml)
The other half of the uncoupled Asmussen entry (and the one with go-to rider Rosario aboard), KING OTTOMAN worked at least a couple of times with STELLAR TAP last summer prior to that one's impressive 5-length maiden win at Saratoga. He basically went missing after that (some kind of phsyical issue, no doubt), but appeared to outwork unraced barmate PENNER ASH (IRE) from the gate on Feb 6, then worked with the two-turn stakes winner RED RUN in his most recent drill on Feb 13 (RED RUN won the Bob Bork Texas Turf Mile at SHRP on 1/30, with today's rider Rosario aboard).
good stuff Thanks mf
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