Cantata tighter for allowance

Cantata, making her first in four months on Feb. 12 at Fair Grounds, was moving like a winner at the five-sixteenths pole of a two-turn dirt race over a wet track. Then, at the three-sixteenths pole, she was not. Cantata ran like a filly who came up short in her first race off a layoff, and if that was truly the case, she can rebound and win the featured seventh race Friday at Fair Grounds.

Cantata is one of six 3-yearold fillies entered to run 1 1/16 miles on dirt in a race open to first-level allowance horses or $50,000 claimers. Win at this level this time of year, and a horse in this division is more likely than not marked for stakes competition next time out.

Cantata already got a taste of that. Trained by Steve Asmussen for Stonestreet Stables, which paid $950,000 to acquire Cantata at auction, the filly won her career debut last summer at Saratoga by more than 10 lengths. That showing earned Cantata a start in the Grade 1 Frizette, where she went off at odds of 3-1 but never came close to threatening top finishers Dayoutoftheoffice and Vequist.

Cantata, by Medaglia d’Oro, has worked twice since checking in fifth in that Feb. 12 allowance, won from well off the pace by Fair Grounds Oaks-bound Li’l Tootsie.

Tom Amoss trains Li’l Tootsie and for the Friday feature has Zoom Up, who made her stakes debut Feb. 13 in the Rachel Alexandra and finished a well-beaten seventh. The race prior, Zoom Up posted a two-length win at this class level over Minute Waltz, one of her rivals Friday, and is able to run back under her first allowance condition because a medication violation got Zoom Up disqualified from her maiden win.

Peyton Elizabeth is the X-factor here making her first start since Nov. 20 and first since moving into the Fair Grounds stable of trainer Matt Shirer.

Eight likely for Louisiana Derby

The Fair Grounds racing secretary has listed eight 3-year-olds as likely entrants in the March 20 Louisiana

Derby, which will be drawn Saturday, March 13. Among those expected to be entered are the first three home from the Risen Star Stakes – Mandaloun, Proxy, and Midnight Bourbon, as well as O Besos, who finished a well-beaten fourth in the Risen Star, his stakes and two turn debut. Hot Rod Charlie is the major ship-in, coming from California for trainer Doug O’Neill after a close third-place finish in his 3-year-old debut, the Jan. 30 Robert Lewis. Risen Star also-rans Right and just and Starr in in my dreams also are on the list, as is Run Classic, who comes off a sharp maiden win Feb. 13 at Fair Grounds in his second start and route debut.

◗ Adam Beschizza starts a one-week suspension that covers four racing days on Friday, March 12. Beschizza will be eligible to ride again on March 19. The suspension was handed down for Beschizza’s ride on Fieldstone in the fourth race Feb. 28. Fieldstone was disqualified from second to third for interference in the stretch. Beschizza, through racing on March 7, had 72 winners at the meet, second only to James Graham’s 76 winners.

BARBARA D. LIVINGSTON Cantata was purchased for $950,000 at auction by owner Stonestreet Stables and has shown some promise.