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Pegasus Turf Winner Colonel Liam Adds Muniz Memorial Classic To Resume

Colonel Liam, favored at 3-5 after winning the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational at Gulfstream Park in January, reeled in pacesetter Two Emmys in mid-stretch and went on to a 1 1/2-length victory in Saturday's Grade 2, $300,000 Muniz Memorial Classic Stakes at Fair Grounds in New Orleans, La.

Ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. for Todd Pletcher, the 4-year-old Liam's Map colt ran 1 1/8 miles on firm turf in 1:48.33 and paid $3.40 to win. The Muniz was the fifth victory in seven starts for the Robert and Lawana Low runner, who was bred in Kentucky by Phillips Racing Partnership and purchased for $1.2 million as a 2-year-old at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s April sale.

Two Emmys held second, with Logical Myth 3 1/2 lengths back third and Pixelate fourth in the field of 10 older runners. Factor This and Cross Border were scratched.

Ortiz had Colonel Liam in fourth position along the rail in the early going, then gained on Two Emmys while saving ground approaching the far turn. Colonel Liam came off the rail on the turn, engaged with Two Emmys and gradually pulling away under left-handed encouragement from his rider.

Colonel Liam was the 5-2 favorite in the Pegasus Turf, edging Pletcher stablemate Largent by a neck. That was his first graded victory, coming off a win in the listed Tropical Park Derby in late December at Gulfstream.

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Chess Chief Nails Owendale At The Wire In New Orleans Classic

Last early under Luis Saez, Chess Chief kicked into high gear down the stretch, catching 4-5 favorite Owendale at the wire in Saturday's Grade 2, $400,000 New Orleans Classic at Fair Grounds racetrack in New Orleans, La.

Trained by Dallas Stewart for the estate of James J. Coleman Jr., Chess Chief is a 5-year-old son of leading sire Into Mischief who was winning his first stakes in his 23rd career start. He covered 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.24 on a fast track and paid $12 to win on a $2 mutuel.

Multiple graded stakes winner Owendale, ridden by Florent Geroux for Brad Cox, finished second, beaten a head. Enforceable was a half-length back in third, with Roadster, a G1 winner for Bob Baffert making his first start since being transferred to Michael Stidham's barn, fourth in the field of seven older runners. Captivating Moon was scratched.

Roadster, with John Velazquez aboard, set the pace with Owendale racing on his right flank most of the way through fractions of :24.11, :48.30 and 1:11.64 for the first six furlongs.

Those two raced as a team into the stretch, with Owendale putting his head in front when they passed the mile marker in 1:36.08. Chess Chief, last early, swung widest of all into the stretch but still had work to do with a furlong to run. Saez kept to his task, however, and Chess Chief was up in time for the win – his fourth in 23 career starts.

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Into Mischief Colt Like a ‘Green Wave’ At the Fair Grounds

A firming 7-5 favorite in what looked on paper to be a hot Fair Grounds maiden, the aptly named TULANE TRYST (c, 3, Into Mischief–Desire Street, by Congrats) built on a big-figure second behind the impressive He's In Charge (Candy Ride {Arg}) on career debut over course and distance Jan. 30 to give trainer Cherie DeVaux a second straight winner on the program following on the race four tally of Three Flamingos (English Channel). Settled worse than midfield through a fast opening quarter of :21.55, the $310,000 Keeneland September yearling raced three and four wide on the turn, but with cover, tipped out for clear running into the stretch and ran past a game Mr. Sippy (Runhappy) to take it by a bit more than a length. Koolhaus (Nyquist), a $600,000 KEENOV weanling, surrendered first run to his rivals after settling near the tail of the field, but made solid stretch headway to complete the trifecta. The final time for the six furlongs was 1:09.09 over a track that had been yielding quick times through the opening few races. Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0. O-David Ingordo; B-Machmer Hall; T-Cherie DeVaux.

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Weekend Lineup Presented By Sky Racing World: First 100-Point Prep Kicks Derby Fever Into High Gear

The $1 million, Grade 2 Louisiana Derby headlines a loaded card at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots on Saturday and represents the first Kentucky Derby prep race this year offering 100-40-20-10 qualifying points to the top four finishers. Saturday's card at Fair Grounds will also feature a prep race for the Kentucky Oaks with the $400,000, Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks drawing a field of eight sophomore fillies.

NBC Sports will broadcast the Louisiana Derby life to kick off its “Road to the Kentucky Derby” series for 2021. The show begins at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN. Post time for the Louisiana Derby is set for 6:44 p.m. ET. NBCSN will also present the Fair Grounds Oaks.

TVG will be broadcasting live from Louisiana with expanded coverage of the 14-race card. In addition to racing from Fair Grounds, Santa Anita and Gulfstream Park, TVG will feature racing from Oaklawn Park, Aqueduct and more. Fans can tune in on TVG, TVG2 and the Watch TVG app which is available on Amazon Fire, Roku and connected Apple TV devices.

“America's Day at the Races,” presented by Claiborne Farm and America's Best Racing, will air on FS1 and FS2 March 21, showing races from Aqueduct, Oaklawn Park and other tracks.

Saturday, March 20

4:48 p.m.—$100,000 Grade 3 Hurricane Bertie Stakes at Gulfstream Park on TVG

If e Five Racing Thoroughbreds' Sound Machine can notch her first graded-stakes success in Saturday's Hurricane Bertie, it will be music to trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.'s ears. Sound Machine is winless in seven starts since capturing the 6 ½-furlong Glitter Woman by 6 ½ lengths in January 2020, but she produced a graded-stakes finish in the Grade 3 Miss Preakness at Pimlico, where she rallied to third, beaten 1 ½ lengths, after getting bumped at the start.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/GP032021USA10-EQB.html

5:12 p.m.—$400,000 Grade 2 New Orleans Classic at Fair Grounds on TVG

Multiple graded stakes winner Owendale headlines a competitive field of eight older horses for Saturday's 96th running of the New Orleans Classic. Trained by Brad Cox, Owendale began his 5-year-old campaign with a third-place effort in the Grade 3 Razorback at Oaklawn Park on February 27 behind top Dubai World Cup contender Mystic Guide. The Into Mischief colt will break from post 2 with Florent Geroux aboard as he eyes his first graded stakes score since his 3-year-old campaign.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/FG032021USA11-EQB.html

5:43 p.m.—$300,000 Grade 2 Muniz Memorial Classic Stakes at Fair Grounds on TVG

Since switching Colonel Liam to the grass, trainer Todd Pletcher has found himself with a new stable star on his hands, one who can further enhance his budding reputation when he starts in Saturday's Muniz Memorial Classic Stakes contested at 1 1/8 miles over the Stall-Wilson Turf Course. The expectations Colonel Liam has carried since being purchased for $1.2 million at the 2019 OBS April 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale were met in his last start when he prevailed in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational on January 23. Since making his first two starts on dirt, Colonel Liam has won three of his four tries on the turf.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/FG032021USA12-EQB.html

6:14 p.m.—$400,000 Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks at Fair Grounds on NBCSN and TVG

Something will have to give when Clairiere and Travel Column meet for the third time in a row, this time with a lot more than the $400,000 that's on the line in the Fair Grounds Oaks. The talented 3-year-old fillies meet again, with a berth into the Kentucky Oaks waiting in the balance, along with 170 qualifying points for the race, on a 100-40-20-10 scale. Clairiere pulled off a slight upset when she beat Travel Column in the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra Stakes on February 13, winning a stretch duel by a neck. Clairiere was making her seasonal debut and first start since running second to Travel Column in Churchill's Grade 2 Golden Road Stakes in November.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/FG032021USA13-EQB.html

6:44 p.m.—$1,000,000 Grade 2 Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds on NBCSN and TVG

Trainer Brad Cox is looking forward to showing the rest of the racing world what he's thought all along—that Mandaloun is one serious 3-year-old—when he starts as a strong favorite in the 108th running of the Louisiana Derby. Cox decided to make what would be a key equipment change after Mandaloun ran third in the Grade 3 Lecomte, as he put blinkers on for the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes and saw a much more polished colt turned the tables on both Proxy and Midnight Bourbon with an authoritative 1 ¼-length win. Godolphin's homebred Proxy was a game second in the Risen Star and will try to emulate Mandaloun's path to victory, as he'll add blinkers for the meet's signature race.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/FG032021USA14-EQB.html

7:25 p.m.—$100,000 Grade 3 San Luis Rey Stakes at Santa Anita Park on TVG

Richard Mandella's classy multiple stakes winning United, idle since early November, will square off with Richard Baltas' sharp recent winner Masteroffoxhounds, as they head a field of five older horses in the San Luis Rey Stakes. A winner of four out of nine Santa Anita turf starts, United has been idle since running a disappointing eighth in the Breeders' Cup Turf last November at Keeneland – a race in which he finished second, beaten a head at Santa Anita in 2019. United enjoyed a terrific year in 2020, winning four out of his six starts, all in graded stakes.

Entries: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/SA032021USA7-EQB.html

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