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Fair Grounds To Increase Purses 10 Percent Across The Board

For the third time in the 2020-21 meet, Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots has announced a 10 percent purse increase across the board. Much like the first two, the boost was inspired by strong simulcast handle. The purse increase, which includes both open races and Louisiana-bred races, goes into effect for the final 13 days of the meet, beginning with the Thursday, March 11 card. The draw for that card is Thursday, March 4.

“Our handle has continued to be strong, and we are pleased to be able to raise purses for the third time this meet,” Fair Grounds' racing secretary Scott Jones said. “We'd once again like to thank the owners, trainers and fans who have been supporting our day-to-day racing product. $60,000 for a maiden special weight pot is a very competitive number to get to.”

To make up for the weather-related Feb. 11 cancellation, Fair Grounds has also added Wednesday, March 24, to the live racing calendar. In addition, in order to accommodate the NBC broadcast, post time for the 149^th Louisiana Derby Day card on Saturday, March 20 has been pushed back to 11:20 a.m. CT.

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Gulfstream Park: Wednesday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot To Have $250,000 Guarantee

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool will be guaranteed at $250,000 Wednesday at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The popular multi-race wager went unsolved the day after a lucky bettor broke the jackpot for $712,824.06 Saturday. Multiple tickets with all six winners were each worth $29,289.02 Sunday.

The jackpot pool is only paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day's pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

WHO'S HOT: Trainer Kent Sweezey celebrated his birthday with back-to back victories with Apreciado ($9) in Race 10 and Selfmade ($7.80) in Race 11.

Marcos Meneses scored back-to-back wins with powerful late rallies aboard Zero Gravity ($21.40) in Race 6 and Textpectations ($13.80) in Race 7.

Tyler Gaffalione won back-to-back with Picking Up Pennies ($4.40) in Race 2 and Makisupa ($4.40) in Race 3.

Irad Ortiz Jr. pushed his Championship Meet win total to 98 with victories aboard Don't Get Khozy ($4.20) in Race 5 and Selfmade ($7.80) in Race 11.

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Given ‘Time To Mature,’ Eres Tu Continues Comeback In Saturday’s Royal Delta Stakes

Edward Seltzer and Beverly Anderson's Eres Tu is scheduled to seek her fourth straight comeback victory in Saturday's $100,000 Royal Delta (G3) at Gulfstream Park.

The 5-year-old daughter of Malibu Moon, who is undefeated since returning from an 18-month layoff and joining trainer Arnaud Delacour's stable, will also pursue her second straight graded-stakes triumph in the 1 1/16-mile stakes for older fillies and mares that will headline Saturday's 12-race program.

“She's a very big filly. She's probably 17 hands or more. My guess is that all the time off she had helped her really mature and come to her full potential,” Delacour said. “She's been great since Day 1 with us. She hasn't missed a breeze. She's done everything so well, so that's exciting.”

Formerly trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Eres Tu broke her maiden in her second career start in November 2018 at Fair Grounds, where she went on to finish second in the Silverbulletday, third behind Serengeti Express in the Rachel Alexandra (G2) and fourth in the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) before going to the sidelines.

The homebred mare returned to action with a 2 ¼-length optional claiming allowance victory last October at Keeneland. She followed with a 1 ½-length score in the Nov. 26 Thirty Eight Go Go Stakes and a length triumph in the Dec. 26 Allaire DuPont (G3), both at Laurel Park.

“When you look at the type of horses she ran against as a 3-year-old – there's a bunch of Grade 1 winners in there – she showed that she was a quality filly,” Delacour said. “The time off gave here the time to mature – that's the key with her.”

Irad Ortiz Jr. is scheduled to ride Eres Tu for the first time Saturday.

Allen Stable Inc.'s Mrs. Danvers will seek her third-straight victory and second stakes in a row in the Royal Delta. The Shug McGaughey-trained 4-year-old daughter of Tapit is coming off a dazzling 6 ½-length victory in the Comely (G3) at Belmont Nov. 27.

Jose Ortiz has the return call aboard Mrs. Danvers.

Miracle's International Trading Inc.'s Dream Marie is set to participate in her third straight graded stakes of the Championship Meet. The Matthew Williams-trained daughter of Graydar finished second behind next-out winner Letruska in the Rampart (G3) and fifth in the Inside Information (G2).

Leonel Reyes will be back aboard Dream Marie Saturday.

e Five Racing Thoroughbreds' Gibberish is scheduled to seek her fourth straight victory Saturday. The Saffie Joseph-trained daughter of Lea won back-to-back optional claiming allowances at Gulfstream Park before scoring a front-running triumph in the Treasure Chest Stakes at Delta Downs Nov. 27. Joseph is also slated to saddle Ken Copenhaver's Queen Nekia, who finished a close third in last year's running of the Royal Delta.

Tyler Gaffalione has the mount on Gibberish, while Corey Lanerie has been named to ride Queen Nekia.

G Watts Humphry Jr.'s High Regard, Robert Stack and Daniel Walters' Bajan Girl, and Al Rashid Stables LLC's Hallawallah round out the field.

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Report: Florida Horseman Lichoa Receives Three-Month Jail Sentence On Money Laundering Charge

Central Florida horseman Alfredo Lichoa on Wednesday was sentenced to three months in prison after pleading guilty to violating federal money laundering laws, according to a report in Bloodhorse.com.

Lichoa, who came to the U.S. from his native Venezuela 20 years ago, worked in the Ocala area as farm veterinarian for Franks Farm and more recently was general manager for the Iadisernia family's Northwest Farms. He began training horses in 2018 and it is in that role that he got caught up in an FBI investigation that would lead to the indictment of Lichoa and four other men.

According to the original indictment, Lichoa was identified to undercover FBI agents as someone who could help launder money through a racetrack horsemen's account. In a secretly recorded FBI sting operation, Lichoa accepted $50,000 he was told came from bribes made to corrupt Brazilian politicians.

The indictments were unsealed last March, shortly after another investigation yielded more than two dozen arrests in a doping probe that included charges against trainers Jason Servis, Jorge Navarro and others. Both investigations came out of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

Lichoa pleaded guilty last October.

Prosecutors sought a sentence of 12 to 18 months, with half of the time allowed to be served by home detention. According to Bloodhorse.com, Judge Jed S. Rakoff may have been swayed by some of the 18 letters of support for Lichoa submitted by family members and horse industry professionals who have either worked with or done business with him.

Lichoa is to report to prison on Aug. 31, the delay being set so that he will have time to be vaccinated for COVID-19 before serving his term. Lichoa's attorney, in an appeal for home incarceration, had cited the high percentage of COVID cases in the federal prison system and suggested Lichoa was especially vulnerable because of health issues.