Stakes Triple Header at Fair Grounds

Trained by Mark Frostad, Forest Uproar will be shooting for her fourth straight win in the LaCombe and will be ridden once again by jockey James Graham, aboard for her two local scores this winter at Fair Grounds.

Saturday’s middle-distance featured stakes is named in honor of Allen “Black Cat” LaCombe, Fair Grounds’ revered longtime publicity director who died in 1989.

Forest Uproar is assigned the second-highest weight of 121 pounds in the LaCombe, but shouldering the top impost is James Perron Racing Stable’s Category Seven at 122 pounds, most of which will be made up by jockey Richard Eramia. Trained by Kenneth Hargrave, Category Seven has been installed as the 7-2 second choice in the morning line based on her solid fifth-place run in Gulfstream’s $300,000 Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf Jan. 29 and her troubled fourth-place finish in Fair Grounds’ $58,000 Blushing K. D. Handicap before that on New Year’s Day.

Oakcrest et al.’s Upperline, winner of the Grade III Arlington Oaks last summer in Chicago, is pegged the 4-1 third choice in the LaCombe morning line and will carry the third-highweight of 119 pounds including leading rider Rosie Napravnik.

Completing the LaCombe ‘Cap field, with jockeys and weights included, is Doug Branham’s Blushing Dixie, Jesse Campbell (114);  Pin Oak Stable’s Now and Forever, Kerwin Clark (114); Ike and Dawn Thrash’s Third Down, Shane Sellers (116); Bienstock, Mandabach and Winner’s Exquisite, Miguel Mena (116); John Wieczorek’s Instant Style, Corey Lanerie (116); Lothenbach Stables’ Single Solution, Shaun Bridgmohan (116); and Naveed Chowhan’s Ice Mist, Jamie Theriot (117).

Last year’s Allen LaCombe Memorial Handicap was annexed by Darley Stable’s Tizaqueena, who previously won Churchill’s 2009 Grade II Distaff Turf Mile and later the 2010 Grade III Arlington Matron.

SU CASA G CASA CHOICE IN SATURDAY’S $60,000 GENTILLY STAKES

Thomas Galvin’s Su Casa G Casa, winner of Delta’s restricted $100,000 Premier Night Prince Stakes Feb. 5 and runner-up behind Just for Fun Stable’s Decisive Moment in that oval’s open $250,000 Jean Lafitte Stakes before that on Jan. 14, is the 2-1 top choice in the morning line for Saturday’s $60,000 Gentilly Stakes at Fair Grounds, to be run at about 1 1/16-miles over the Stall-Wilson turf course but restricted to accredited Louisiana-bred sophomores.

Regular rider Carlos Gonzalez returns in the irons aboard the Bret Calhoun trainee who captured the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile at Fair Grounds on Dec. 11.

Peter Redekop’s Loranger Native, trained by Mike Stidham with Brian Hernandez Jr. in the irons, is pegged as the 3-1 second choice in the Gentilly morning line after missing by a neck to Su Casa G Casa in the Premier Prince.

Completing the Gentilly field, with respective jockeys assigned, is Jackie Barberito’s Make It Roses, Shaun Bridgmohan; Klaravich Stables’ Populist Politics, Richard Eramia; Lanning, Robinson and Schoenhardt’s Powered by Stewie, Trey Agilar; Nick, Richey, Brooks and Wisdom’s Ollie Baby, John Jacinto; Webs Gems Stable’s No Lip, James Graham; Stacey Moak’s Tonto Too, Jamie Theriot;  Heartlines Horse Ranch’s Man of Strife, Rosie Napravnik; and William Gilmore Jr.’s One Pretty Penny, Miguel Mena.

Named on the also-eligible list for the Gentilly are Pickett and Hawley’s Haynesville Shale, Mena with a second call; and James and Ywachetta Driver’s Wild Rossini, Corey Lanerie.

TENSAS PUNCH TOP CHOICE IN SATURDAY’S $60,000 SARAH LANE’S OATES STAKES 

Dan Lynch, Ken Sentel and Merrill Scherer’s Tensas Punch, third in Fair Grounds’ $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Lassie Dec. 11 and runner-up in Delta’s $100,000 Premier Night Starlet Stakes Feb. 5, has been installed as the 2-1 top choice in Saturday’s $60,000 Sarah Lane’s Oates Stakes restricted to accredited Louisiana-bred sophomore fillies at about one mile over the Stall-Wilson turf course.  Brian Hernandez Jr. is named aboard.

Named to oppose Tensas Punch, with respective jockeys included, are:  John Adams’ Cat’s Production, Diego Saenz; JRita Young Thoroughbreds’ Take Me Home Too, Jesse Campbell; Richard Ringo’s Sweet Ruston, Corey Lanerie; Tri-Star Racing’s Lovenotlost, Shaun Bridgmohan; Joe and Gene Walkoviak’s Do Dat Blues, Richard Eramia; Valene Farm’s Destiny’s Gold, Rosie Napravnik; Stanley Seelig’s Avery Rose, Kerwin Clark; and Allen Peterson’s Sweettalkin Hottie, Kirk LeBlanc.

Cat’s Production, winner of the Premier Night Starlet, is pegged as the 7-2 second choice in the Sarah Lane’s Oates morning line.