Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Calhoun has sharp Oaks pair
When the calendar flipped to 2018, the 3-year-old filly Classy Act had a maiden win on turf from four career starts. Two months later, she’s among the early favorites for the Grade 2, $400,000 Fair Grounds Oaks on March 24.
Classy Act finished second by a neck and second by a nose in her first two races as a 2-yearold, then ran far below form in her third race and was given a break by trainer Bret Calhoun. She returned to action Dec. 21 in a Fair Grounds turf maiden, and, wearing blinkers for the first time, won by four lengths. Then came a highly rated firstlevel allowance win around two turns on dirt and a fine secondplace finish behind Monomy Girl on Feb. 17 in the Rachel Alexandra Stakes. With Monomoy Girl targeting the Ashland Stakes in April at Keeneland, and with a general paucity of elite talent in the division right now, Classy Act should be a prime player in the Fair Grounds Oaks.
“I definitely like my position,” Calhoun said. “My filly doesn’t have to take her show on the road or go anywhere at all.”
Calhoun also has Patrona Margarita pointed to the Fair Grounds Oaks. Patrona Margarita, a Texas-bred of relatively humble origins, won the Pocahontas Stakes on Sept. 16 at Churchill and was a creditable fourth, getting a 79 Beyer Speed Figure, making her first start since that race in the Rachel Alexandra.
“I thought she ran a really good race coming back from a long layoff and galloped out really well,” said Calhoun. “I look for her to improve a lot.”
Classy Act, an Into Mischief filly owned by Carl Moore, got an 87 Beyer in the Rachel Alexandra, and while she was beaten 2 1/2 lengths by Monomoy Girl, Calhoun thinks the margin could have been closer under different circumstances. Classy Act broke a beat slowly, and when her rider asked her to get a forward position the filly became aggressive. Her connections have been working to get her to relax during her races.
“I think if she breaks right we’re a lot closer,” Calhoun said. “The good thing about her, you don’t seem to get to the bottom of her. Three hard races in a row, she bounced out of them really well. I hope she’ll continue to develop mentally and learn to turn off better and better. That’ll help her stretch her speed.”
Calhoun trainee Finley’s lucky charm emerged from her 2018 debut, a second-place finish in the Feb. 13 Mardi Gras Stakes, in good condition, worked back Feb. 25 at Fair Grounds, and remains on target to make her next start in the Grade 1 Madison Stakes in April at Keeneland.
“Right now, everything is going the way I hoped it would go,” Calhoun said.
Cedartown euthanized
Cedartown, Godolphin’s promising 4-year-old colt, was euthanized last week after developing laminitis as a result of an infection.
Cedartown impressively won the Jan. 13 Louisiana Stakes following a victory Nov. 22 in the $200,000 Zia Park Derby. Cedartown was entered Feb. 9 for the Feb. 17 Mineshaft Handicap and worked for the race on Feb. 10, but shortly thereafter, trainer Mike Stidham said, the colt contracted a serious infection in his leg.
Cedartown first was treated in Stidham’s barn and then was shipped to the Rood and Riddle clinic in Kentucky when the infection failed to subside. Cedartown developed cellulitis, which also failed to respond to treatment, and subsequently was afflicted with laminitis and had to be euthanized at the clinic, according to Stidham.
Cedartown was by Candy Ride and out of Talkin and Singing, by Songandaprayer. He got a late start to his career, racing for the first time last summer, but won four times and had three second-place finishes from his seven career starts.
◗ Friday’s nominal feature is race 8, a turf mile for Louisianabred first-level allowance horses or $12,500 claimers. Ninety One Assault is the likely favorite but has lost three times at this class level and is drawn poorly in post 13.
◗ Miguel Mena had widened his lead in the Fair Grounds jockey standings to seven (54-47) over Shaun Bridgmohan entering this week’s racing.