Medoro crushed the field at Fair Grounds, Fair Grounds Photo
Fair Grounds Press
NEW ORLEANS – Proven winners return to the spotlight on Louisiana Derby Preview Day at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, where five of the six stakes feature former series champions, including Medoro in the $100,000 Albert M. Stall Memorial and Most Wrong in the $100,000 Colonel Power Stakes.
Louisiana Derby Preview Day marks a crucial stop on the Road to the 2026 Kentucky Derby, with the Grade 2 awarding $500,000 Fasig-Tipton Risen Star qualifying points on a scale of 50-25-15-10-5 to the top five finishers, virtually guaranteeing the winner a spot in the starting gate.
The first post is noon CT for Saturday’s 12-race card.
The 1 1/16-mile Albert M. Stall Memorial turf field attracts a field of nine older fillies and mares and is led by CRK Stable’s Medoro, who was labeled a 9-5 favorite in the morning line after rallying to catch race leader Cupids Crush in the stretch to win the Marie G. Krantz on the Lecomte undercard.
The Peter Eurton-trained Grade 3 winner has finished in the money in 12 of 13 career starts, including six wins and six rankings. Jose Ortiz retains the mount.
Five of the Stall’s nine competitors are newcomers making their first appearance in the older mare and filly routes, including Klaravich Stables’ Oversubscribed (GB) and Team Valor International’s Feather Boa (SAF).
Trained by Chad Brown, Oversubscribed won the Forever Together Stakes at Aqueduct in November after a year-long layoff. There has been no racing since and the multiple stakes winner will make her 5-year-old debut with Tyler Gaffalione on board.
Feather Boa, winner of Group 2 in South Africa, came up short in her three American starts for trainer Todd Pletcher. John Velazquez gets a call.
Xtreme Racing Stables’ speedster Cupids Crush returns to the Stall Memorial and looks to turn the tables on Medoro for trainer Hugh Robertson.
The Albert M. Stall Memorial is scheduled as Race 8 of 12 and serves as the first leg of the All-Stakes Late Pick 5.
After setting a new course record in the Duncan F. Kenner, BG Stables and Selman Shaby’s Mostly Wrong receive top billing for Saturday’s Colonel Power, a 5 1/2 furlong turf sprint that attracted a field of eight older men.
The four-time stakes winner is known as the 6-5 favorite in the morning line and has eight wins from eleven starts for trainer Robertino Diodoro and is reunited with Isaac Castillo.
Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ Built and Kat Kirk and Wayne Sanders’ Autodrive, two sharp four-year-olds making their turf debut, add intrigue to the Colonel Power. After securing a spot in the starting gate of the Kentucky Derby 151 but opting for the Pat Day Mile, Built returned in dominant fashion in December to win a six-furlong local allowance for trainer Wayne Catalano.
Going a perfect 3-for-3, including a win at 5 1/2 furlongs, Autodrive has improved with each start, going through his first two conditions for trainer Bret Calhoun.
Other contenders include Charles Marquis’ Turf Sprint (G2) winner Bear River for trainer Keith Desormeaux, and Town and Country Racing’s homebred Mondogetsbuckets signing Tyler Gaffalione. The Chris Block-trained Mondogetsbuckets finished second behind Mostly Wrong in the Kenner, with Bear River third.
The Colonel Power is scheduled as Race 3.
Here is the full field for the Albert M. Stall Memorial Stakes from the rail with jockey, trainer and morning line odds:
Medoro (Ortiz, Eurton, 9-5)
Oversubscribed (Gaffalione, Bruin, 5-2)
Sweet Treasure (Florent Geroux, Brad Cox, 6-1)
Expensive Queen (Luis Saez, Brendan Walsh, 6-1)
Good Luck Speech (James Graham, Steve Asmussen, 20-1)
Sophie’s Cruiser (Isaac Castillo, Brett Brinkman, 20-1)
Mo Expectations (Axel Concepcion, Brad Cox, 8-1)
Feather Boa (Velazquez, Pletcher, 8-1)
Cupid Crush (Marcelino Pedroza Jr., Robertson, 15-1)
Here is the full field for the Colonel Power Stakes from the rail with jockey, trainer and morning line odds:
Can’t deny it (Jareth Loveberry, Larry Rivelli, 12-1)
Bear River (James Graham, Desormeaux, 6-1)
Mondogetsbuckets (Gaffalione, Block, 6-1)
Wrecking Duke (Jose Ortiz, Brendan Walsh, 12-1)
Mostly foul (Castillo, Diodoro, 6-5)
Built (John Velazquez, Catalano, 6-1)
Autodrive (Brian Hernandez Jr., Calhoun, 8-1)
Champlin (Luis Saez, Greg Foley, 6-1)
Live racing this week at Fair Grounds will be held Thursday through Saturday, February 12 through 14, with the track going dark on Sunday, February 15, before resuming for the traditional Lundi Gras and Mardi Gras programs.
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