Photo: CDI
Trainer Mike Burgess was all smiles back at his Fair
Grounds barn Saturday morning, enjoying the post-race afterglow of Sweet Ruston’s 3 1/2-length win in Friday’s filly division
of Fair Grounds’ $107,125 Louisiana
Futurity.
“She came back good,” Burgess said of the Richard
Ringo-owned filly. “She was bouncing all around like she never even raced
yesterday, and that surprised me a little bit because she had a little temp
last week.”
Asked if Sweet Ruston, who has never been farther than six
furlongs, would be pointed toward a start at two turns in her future, Burgess
said, “She’s very fast away from the gate, but I don’t see anything that would
stop this filly from stretching out. The ($75,000) Crescent City Oaks
(March 25) could be in her future.”
Burgess saddled Ringo’s Morning Memory to win the
Louisiana Futurity for fillies two years ago and saddled Ashby Thoroughbreds
and Cajun Racing’s Geniesthreewishes to finish second in last year’s
edition.
“Mr. Ringo does everything first class,” said Burgess of
his New Year’s Eve celebration following Sweet Ruston’s victory. “He took us
all downtown to a show at the Royal Sonesta. It’s all about having a good time
and enjoying life with him.”
Klaravich Stable and William Lawrence’s Populist
Politics, 1 3/4-length hero of the colts and geldings division of Friday’s $109,825
Louisiana Futurity, also came back well and was doing well Saturday
morning, trainer Tom Amoss said. Amoss had indicated during a post-race
interview Friday that if his colt shows the ability to stretch out that the
($75,000) Crescent City Derby (March 25) might be a “logical place to
go.”