Trainer Steve Margolis, whose horses Due Date
and Early Return finished first and second, respectively, in the
$60,000 Bonapaw Stakes on Santa Super Saturday, reported that
both of those Richard, Bertram and Elaine Klein-owned 5-year-olds came out of
their Bonapaw engagements without problems and will likely return in future
Fair Grounds stakes events during the 2010-2011 racing season in New Orleans.
“All of my horses that ran yesterday came back fine,” said
Margolis Sunday morning after celebrating over an Italian dinner with Richard
Klein Saturday night. “We’ll probably give Due Date a little break and wait to
run him back in the ($60,000) Colonel Power (at about 5 ½ furlongs over
the Stall-Wilson turf course Feb. 19), but Early Return might come back before
that in something like the ($60,000) Gaudin (Memorial at six furlongs on
the main track Jan. 22). Of course, we also have Cash Refund (another
Klein color bearer who won last year’s Gaudin) getting ready to run, and he
might end up in the Gaudin as well.
“I also thought Street Storm ran a good race
yesterday,” said Margolis of Right Time Racing’s 2-year-old filly that ran
third in Saturday’s $60,000 Letellier Memorial. “She’s fine today and
we’ll probably look at the 3-year-old filly series with her.
“Jake Ballis’s horse (the undefeated 2-year-old colt Cheyann
Belief) came up with a little problem,” Margolis said. “He worked good the
other day but then he wasn’t acting quite right, so we took a look at him and
discovered a little chip. That’s why we had to scratch him out of his race
yesterday (the $60,000 Sugar Bowl Stakes). As for Cool Bullet
(seventh in the Bonapaw after winning last year’s Sugar Bowl), I thought he’d
like the grass better than he ran over it yesterday because he won so easily on
synthetic, but it’s back to the drawing board with him.”
Considering the impact the Margolis barn has had on Fair
Grounds’ stakes program recently, it’s hard to believe that it was exactly two
years ago on Dec. 18 that the trainer saddled his first winner at Fair Grounds
when Gold Square’s Lady Chace reached the winner’s circle and posted a
$41 win mutuel. Born in New York,
the 47-year-old conditioner had spent several winters at Gulfstream before
coming here, and also saddled Cajun Beat to win the 2003 Breeders’ Cup
Sprint at Santa Anita for a $47.60 straight price.