Solid sophomore trio in dirt allowance

Forty-six degrees is not exactly balmy by New Orleans standards, but hey, everything is relative, and compared to much of the nation, as well as some even colder New Orleans days this week, Friday’s forecast seems encouraging.

So, too, is the Friday racing program at Fair Grounds. The nine-race card packs a strong one-two punch with race 7, a high-end turf-route allowance race for older horses, immediately followed by a first-level dirt-sprint allowance for the 3-year-old set.

Race 8, carded at six furlongs and also open to $50,000 claimers, drew a field of eight, but three of the entrants – Supreme Aura, Trappezoid, and Steel Shot – look a cut above.

Supreme Aura impressed in winning his career debut almost five months ago at Delaware Park and is ready to resume his career after getting time off for a minor ailment. A Candy Ride colt trained by Mike Stidham for Stallionaire Enterprises, Supreme Aura was vigorously ridden to hold early position just behind the leader in his debut Aug. 9. But he was barely ridden at all while smoking a final furlong in 11.62 seconds after bursting to the lead at the top of the Delaware stretch and going on to a 4 3/4-length win over a competent group of maidens.

Supreme Aura came out of the race with filling in an ankle. Radiographs revealed no serious injury, but the colt’s connections went easy.

“He’s not a flashy work horse,” Stidham said. “Looking at him, you’d expect him to work a half in 46 under a pull, but you almost have to ride him to make him do what he does. During his time off, he’s filled out, matured a lot, and looks great. I put a lot back into him for this start and expect him to come back running.”

Trappezoid debuted in a $30,000 maiden claimer at Ellis Park but is a better horse than that. He sharply won over six furlongs at Churchill Downs when entered for a $75,000 claiming option in a first-level allowance, then was stuck inside and stopped cold midway around the far turn in a Keeneland allowance race in October, his most recent start. Trappezoid has worked steadily for his first start in almost three months and is a prime contender from post 8.

Steel Shot wound up several lengths behind an extremely slow pace as the 1-5 favorite Dec. 16 in the Sugar Bowl Stakes, and it’s no major knock against him that he was unable to run down a fresh pacesetter. His 82 Beyer Speed Figure from a Churchill maiden win is the highest number in Friday’s race.

As for race 7, a turf mile with multiple high-end allowance conditions and an $80,000 claiming option, Chip Leader threatens to shake loose from post 1 and do what he did in a Nov. 26 race at this level – lead all the way.

But One Mean Man, who returns from a well-deserved freshening, could have a say, and the pick to win is High Noon Rider, who got locked behind a wall of horses in the homestretch when beaten only two lengths in the Buddy Diliberto Memorial Handicap last month.