You won't find many graded stakes races on the turf around the country without an entry from the Chad Brown barn.
In the case of Saturday's $300,000 Muniz Memorial Classic (G2) presented by Horse Racing Nation at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Brown hopes that not only longer will be better but also some ageless enthusiasm will prevail.
The East Coast-based conditioner sends a pair of long-toothed, French-bred turf veterans in 7-year-old Sacred Life and 8-year-old Devamani, both of whom have traveled near and far for their connections in search of graded stakes glory.
Brown has tasted success in the Muniz before with 2019 Horse of the Year Bricks and Mortar. He also won the 2012 edition with Casino Host and owns a 6-2-1-1 record in this marquee event for older turf horses in New Orleans.
Breaking from post two under Florent Geroux for the first time, Sacred Life was tabbed the 2-1 morning line favorite. Sacred Life has visited the winner's circle just once in his last eight, with that score coming in the Knickerbocker (G3) in October of last year. In his only start of 2022, the son of Siyouni flew late, but was compromised by a slow pace early, finishing a close sixth behind last year's Muniz champ Colonel Liam in the Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1) at Gulfstream.
His stablemate and work partner Devamani comes to the bayou off a pedestrian sixth place finish in the Tampa Bay Stakes (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs last month. Devamani (5-2) has shown an affinity for grass courses with some cut in the them, but with rain not forecasted Wednesday through Saturday, the Stall-Wilson turf course should be in firm condition for closing weekend.
Joel Rosario will break from the third post position outside his stablemate in the nine-horse field scheduled to run 1 1 /8 miles on the turf with the rails down.
Vying for favoritism once again will be Godolphin's homebred Santin (7-2).
Santin was bet down off his 12-1 morning line to the 2.70-to-1 public choice in his 4-year-old debut last month in the Fair Grounds Stakes (G3). The son of Distorted Humor had a compromised trip under Tyler Gaffalione but showed some late interest down the stretch just missing the board. The top four finishers from that race were separated by less than a length.
“He ran well in the Fair Grounds (Stakes) and it will benefit him having a run going into Saturday,” trainer Brendan Walsh said. “He's been working very well. He's only run four times. He showed that he could mix it up with those seasoned, older horses. He just has to improve a little to put him right there again, which I think that he has. Chad's (Brown) two horses look tough, and there are some other proven, seasoned horses in there. It's going to take my horse another two or three starts to get to the point where they already are. All he lacks is experience. If he can stick right with them now, if he keeps improving, that should put him right up there with the very best turf horses this year.”
The lack of early pace in the favorites' running lines could be beneficial for the local longshot contingents like Cavalry Charge, Forty Under and Two Emmys, who used his front-running speed last year to a runner-up finish at huge odds.
Cavalry Charge (10-1) gutted out a determined front-running win in the Fair Grounds Stakes (G3) last month. Trainer Dallas Stewart and jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. could find themselves on the lead once again in this race.
Recent stakes winners Cavalry Charge, Forty Under and Another Mystery will all carry 122 pounds. The rest of the field is slated to carry 118 pounds.
The field for the $300,000 Muniz Memorial Classic Stakes (G2) presented by Horse Racing Nation (race 10 at 4:40 pm CT) with post position, jockey/trainer and morning line odds:
- BW and HTS Stables LLC and Jason Grudzien's Peacock Kitten (Devin Magnon/Rylee Grudzien, 30-1 ML), whose only start on the Stall-Wilson turf course was an off the board finish in starter allowance company;
- Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables LLC, Wonder Stables and Michael Caruso's Sacred Life (Florent Geroux/Chad Brown, 2-1 ML), a pace compromised sixth last time out in the Pegasus Turf Invitational (G1);
- Michael Dubb, Sanford Goldfarb & Samuel Abraham's Devamani (Joel Rosario/Chad Brown, 5-2 ML), off the board last time in the Tampa Bay Stakes (G3);
- West Point Thoroughbreds, William Sandbrook & Robert Masiello's Cavalry Charge (Brian Hernandez Jr./Dallas Stewart, 10-1 ML), front-running winner of the Fair Grounds Stakes (G3) last time out;
- Three Diamond Farm's Forty Under (Mitchel Murrill/Michael Maker, 10-1 ML), winner of the Colonel E.R. Bradley two starts back at Fair Grounds;
- Lothenbach Stables' Captivating Moon (Junior Alvarado/Chris Block, 15-1 ML), sixth in the Muniz last year;
- Team Block's Another Mystery (Jareth Loveberry/Chris Block, 12-1 ML), coming off a dead heat victory in the John B. Connally Stakes (G3) at Sam Houston;
- Wolfe Racing & Hugh Robertson's Two Emmys (James Graham/Hugh Robertson 10-1 ML), second at 24-1 in this race last year; and the
- Godolphin homebred Santin (Tyler Gaffalione/Brendan Walsh, 7-2 ML), fourth as the favorite in the Fair Grounds Stakes (G3) last month.
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