Trainer
Kathy Ritvo was ebullient during training
hours Sunday morning at Fair Grounds, and with good reason. That’s because late
Saturday afternoon her sophomore colt
Mucho Macho Man, owned by a
multiple partnership of Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Dream Team One Racing,
had established himself as a legitimate candidate for the
Kentucky Derby
11 weeks from now by winning the
Grade II Risen Star Stakes at Fair
Grounds.
Between now and then, of course, comes the Louisiana
Derby in five weeks, which will become the richest Thoroughbred race ever
run in the Pelican
State
when it carries a $1 million purse for the first time in its 98-year
history March 26. Will Mucho Macho Man be one of the horses going to the
post that day?
“We’re not sure, yet,” said Ritvo Sunday morning. “We’ll
talk things over for a few days before we decide for sure, but it’s certainly a
possibility. Everyone here at Fair Grounds has treated us very well since we
got here, and we all really appreciate that.
“The horse is doing really well this morning, and I slept
really well last night. Watching the race on the TV down in the winner’s circle
yesterday, I was just so excited I started rooting very hard the last part of
the race, but at least I was quiet for awhile.”
Dean Reeves, one of the principle owners standing
next to Ritvo outside the barn Sunday morning, was looking for a good local
place near the track to go and have a nice brunch, and if he followed the
recommendation he and his group were given, chances are good that the group
will want to come back in five weeks to go there again.
PAUL MCGEE WINS MINESHAFT, RUNS THIRD IN FAIR GROUNDS
’CAP
Trainer Paul McGee saddled Amerman Racing Stable’s Demarcation
to win Saturday’s Grade III Mineshaft Handicap by a head, and in the
next race saddled David Holloway Racing’s Dubious Miss to run third in
the Grade III Fair Grounds Handicap, beaten a head and a nose for
all of it.
“Demarcation is so consistent,” McGee said. “He runs well
every time so he makes me look good every time he runs.
“Dubious Miss ran well once again but got beat again,”
McGee said. “So he’s run three times over this turf course and run well every
time, but he’s still ‘o-fer’ over it.”
Saturday’s Mineshaft Handicap is designed to lead up to the
Grade II New Orleans Handicap March 26, and Saturday’s Fair Grounds
Handicap is in preparation for the Grade II Mervin Muniz Memorial Handicap
on that same gala Louisiana Derby Day afternoon, so McGee was asked if
Demarcation and Dubious Miss were likely to return for those two respective
future engagements.
“Probably,” said McGee. “Right now I’m going to say ‘yes’
for both of them in those two races.”