The 38th running of the $60,000 Happy
Ticket Stakes, a five-and-one-half-furlong sprint restricted to accredited
Louisiana-bred fillies and mares, and the fourth running of the $60,000 John
E. Jackson Jr. Memorial Stakes, open to all accredited older Louisiana-breds,
are the co-featured highlights of Saturday’s 10-race program at Fair Grounds.
In the Happy Ticket, Southern Equine
Stables’ Cajun Conference, second in Fair Grounds’ $100,000 Louisiana
Champions Day Ladies Sprint at last asking Dec. 19, has been installed as the
slight 5-2 choice in the morning line over Heiligbrodt Racing Stable’s Sax
Appeal, who has been absent from competition since finishing third in the
$100,000 Louisiana Cup Filly & Mare sprint last Aug. 1 and is pegged at as
the Happy Ticket’s second choice at 3-1.
Jamie Theriot is named aboard
Cajun Conference, while Shaun Bridgmohan is listed astride Sax Appeal.
Completing the Happy Ticket is Flawless
Gold, Robby Albarado up; Wanna Cuddle, Corey Lanerie; Anything
But Quiet, Billy Patin; Yare, Shane Sellers; Alphadoodle,
Trey Agilar; and Foxy Flyer, Pat Valenzuela.
Earlier in the afternoon, Stewart
Madison’ Cush, coincidentally owned and bred by Happy Ticket’s owner Madison,
has been made the 9-5 morning line choice in the John E. Jackson Jr. Memorial
Stakes after finishing second in last spring’s $50,000 Big Earl Stakes on May
23 at Louisiana Downs. John Jacinto rides Saturday,
Carl Moore Management’s Power Surge
is the 3-1 second choice in the Jackson Memorial with Jamie Theriot
slated for the saddle, and completing that field is Mr. Porter, James
Graham; John Charles, Francisco Torres; Star Production, Carlos
Gonzalez; Captain Buddy, Robby Albarado, and Lee City Slew, Pat
Valenzuela.
Each stakes includes its defending
champion—Mr. Porter in the Jackson
and Sax Appeal in the Happy Ticket.
Another highlight of Saturday’s 10-race
program is Race 3, a first-level allowance for 3-year-olds featuring Bluegrass
Hall’s Bravo Whiskey, a highly regarded sophomore and nominee to the Grade
II $750,000 Louisiana Derby on March 27 after breaking his maiden
here by six lengths at first asking last Dec. 14.
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