Photo: CDI
Oakcrest Farm et al.’s Upperline, heroine of
Saturday’s $58,800 Allen LaCombe Memorial Handicap at Fair Grounds, came
out of her race well and was doing fine Sunday morning, according to trainer Mike
Stidham.
“She looks good today,” said Stidham. “The ($100,000) Bayou
Handicap (at about 1 1/16-miles over the Stall-Wilson turf course March 26)
is under strong consideration for her next start.”
Asked about Estrorace’s Workin for Hops and Feel the
Thunder Stable’s Gran Estreno, fourth and sixth, respectively, in the Grade
III Fair Grounds Handicap over the Stall-Wilson turf course Feb. 19,
Stidham said, “As of right now, we’re looking at the (Grade II) Mervin Muniz
(Memorial Handicap March 26) for both of them.”
The Mervin Muniz Memorial Handicap, top turf race of the
New Orleans Thoroughbred racing season, offers a $300,000 purse and will be one
of four Grade II stakes races carded on Louisiana
Derby Day March 26.
Gran Estreno won the Grade III Col. E. R. Bradley
Handicap on the grass here Jan. 22, and Workin for Hops won the $60,000 Grindstone
Stakes on the grass here a year ago on Louisiana Derby Day.