Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Spa City the likely favorite despite recent subpar effort
Spa City was a little disappointing last month in his Fair Grounds debut, but bettors figure to generally forgive him when Spa City runs back in the featured seventh race Sunday at Fair Grounds.
Spa City was the 2-1 favorite Dec. 18 when he made his second start for trainer Brad Cox following a first-level Keeneland allowance win in October as Spa City returned from a long layoff. Spa City took up a favorable pressing position off a moderate tempo but went the wrong way in the final furlong, fading to finish fourth.
He’s a little tough to trust off that performance, especially as the likely favorite again facing just five foes in a second-level allowance race also open to $40,000 claimers. This race is at 1 1/16 miles, where the December start came at 1 1/8 miles, but Spa City, a Godolphin homebred 4-year-old by Street Sense, has won at 1 1/8 and 1 3/16 miles, so the December distance likely wasn’t his undoing.
Also present in the Sunday field is Enforceable, who was a leading 3-year-old last season at Fair Grounds and finished third, in front of Spa City, in the Dec. 18 start. Enforceable, from the Mark Casse barn, had started in eight straight stakes, including the Kentucky Derby, before his drop into allowance competition, but even there his lack of positional pace and relatively grinding style exposed his limitations.
Plus Que Parfait is the richest horse entered, the bulk of his $1.7 million in career earnings courtesy of his victory in the $2.5 million UAE Derby in March 2019. Since that triumph, Plus Que Parfait has gone 0 for 11, and he might not be the most interesting entrant here from trainer Brendan Walsh.
Walsh also sends out Dune of Pilat, listed at a healthy 12-1 on the morning line as he makes his first start on dirt. Dune of Pilat started four times in England and Ireland before coming to North America but was no turf horse overseas. His two wins came on synthetic surfaces, including an eightlength romp – albeit against soft competition – at Southwell.
That track is noteworthy with regard to Sunday’s race because the Fibresand track surface there (which is being replaced by Tapeta) is thought by some to more resemble American dirt than other allweather track surfaces overseas. Aidan O’Brien, in fact, has taken prominent horses to work at Southwell in preparation for races on American dirt tracks.
Dune of Pilat’s dirt-workout pattern since coming to Fair Grounds encourages, and perhaps he can show some speed from the rail.
Supporting the Sunday feature is race 5, a nonwinnersof-two sprint allowance race for 3-year-olds. The six-furlong dash drew seven horses and six betting interests, including the coupled entry of Assumption and Outlier. Tate, Crime Spree, Whiskey Double, and O Dogg are difficult to separate, but O Dogg is the selection. He roared from far behind the early leaders to win an off-turf maiden sprint last out at Fair Grounds and since has posted a fast drill for trainer Greg Foley.
Max Player needs Saudi invite
Max Player, who was fifth in the Kentucky Derby and fifth in the Preakness, has been working steadily at Fair Grounds for trainer Steve Asmussen, who said connections hope to send him to Saudi Arabia for the $20 million Saudi Cup.
Asmussen said Max Player is only an alternative invitee to the Saudi Cup right now, but there’s hope he will at some point receive a full invitation.
“He’s picking it back up now,” Asmussen said of Max Player’s training pattern. “I’d like to run him there fresh.”
Max Player was transferred to Asmussen from trainer Linda Rice shortly after he finished third in the Travers Stakes. Last winter, he won the Grade 3 Withers.