Louisiana-based conditioner Tony Richey
is enjoying perhaps his best start of any of his years at
Fair Grounds this season, where he ranked sixth in the standings
entering Friday’s racing program.
“Any time you can be right there with
Al (Stall Jr.) and Tom (Amoss),” Richey said of his fellow conditioners, “you’re having a great meet.”
However,
the best may be yet to come for Richey, who has a host of promising
youngsters in his barn, two of which he will saddle in each division
of Saturday’s Louisiana Futurity at Fair Grounds.
Richey will saddle Whispering Oaks Farm’s
C. C. Dubai as part of an entry pegged at 6-1 along with that same farm’s
Gar in Saturday’s colt and gelding division of the
$104,490 Louisiana Futurity.
“He’s
a nice colt who has won one time at Delta Downs going a mile,” said
Richey, “and it’s not easy to win the first time going a mile there.
Also, he did it while getting a lot of dirt in his face so he needed to
be given the chance here in this race. It would help if he gets a good
pace, because he’ll come running at the end.”
Richey, with horses spread throughout
Louisiana but wintering the bulk of his stable at Fair Grounds for the third straight season, will also saddle Oak Leaf Stable’s
Effie in the filly division of the
$102,790 Louisiana
Futurity, and that Royce Roberts color bearer has been installed as the 3-1 second choice in the morning line.
“She
ran a big race at Delta Downs and then she shipped here for Champions
Day and got a little sick on me,” said Richey. “I didn’t know it
at the time, but she just wasn’t quite herself in the paddock and I
didn’t realize what was wrong until after the race. But she’s been super
sharp since then and I expect her to run a big race this weekend.”