BREAK EVEN ENTERED TO FACE ELEVEN OTHERS IN TUESDAY’S MARDI GRAS STAKES
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Racing Media Relations Coordinator
BREAK EVEN ENTERED TO FACE ELEVEN
OTHERS IN TUESDAY’S MARDI GRAS STAKES
Graded stakes winner Bell’s the One &
Hotshot Anna should provide a stern test
With only one blemish on her record from seven career starts, Klein Racing’s Break Even is entered to return to the races on Tuesday as she is set to face eleven others in the $75,000 Mardi Gras Stakes at 5 ½ furlongs over the Stall Wilson turf course at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots (Race 8, 3:53 p.m. CT).
The 4- year-old daughter of Country Day launched her career at Fair Grounds more than a year ago. She rattled off consecutive sprint victories locally before testing stakes waters for the first time in the Purple Martini at Oaklawn Park in March. She romped gate-to-wire and was geared down in the final seventy yards that day, more than proving her class
After starting her career a perfect three for three, Break Even would pass her first graded stakes test with flying colors, running away with the Eight Belles Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs in May by five widening lengths. Victories in a pair of listed sprint stakes — the Jersey Girl at Belmont and Coronation Cup at Saratoga — would follow, and she suffered her first, and only, career defeat in the Prioress Stakes (G2) in August at Saratoga, setting the pace before succumbing to Royal Charlotte in the final furlong.
Off nearly six months, Break Even has been installed as Mike Dilliberto’s 5-2 morning line favorite with Shaun Bridgmohan aboard.
Reached by phone Friday morning, trainer Brad Cox, who also has another Klein Racing filly in Play On (6-1 ML) entered, was uncertain if Break Even would in fact run in the Mardi Gras Stakes, or be pointed for another spot.
Breaking from post 12, Lothenbach Stable Inc’s Bell’s the One returns to the Fair Grounds turf course for the first time since winning the $75,000 Allen Lacombe Memorial Stakes in March. That two-turn race restricted to 3-year-old fillies marks the only time she’s competed on grass.
An upset winner of the Raven Run (G2) at Keeneland in October, the 4-year-old daughter of Majesticperfection was last seen finishing an even fifth in the La Brea (G1) at Santa Anita.
“She came out of the La Brea feeling fine she just had some nicks and cuts on her,” trainer Neil Pessin said Friday morning. “We gave her a little extra time off from training than we usually do and brought her back kind of slow. She’s been doing really well and we’re going to use this race as a prep for the Madison Stakes (G1) at Keeneland (April 4, seven furlongs, fillies & mares, 4-year-olds & up).”
“On Tuesday, I just hope she finishes well,” Pessin continued. “She’s a one run filly so we’ll just sit back like she normally does and if she comes running and wins that’s great, or if she comes running and finishes third that’s just as good. As long as she shows that turn of foot and makes a strong close I’ll be happy.”
On February 17, Bell’s the One breezed a bullet four furlongs in: 47.40, the fastest of 50 others that morning.
“We never ask her in the mornings she always does it on her own,” Pessin said. “We give her a target to run after and around the eighth pole she kicks into gear and always puts in a solid work.”
Bell’s the One will be ridden by Corey Lanerie and is listed at 8-1 on the morning line.
The Hugh Robertson owned and trained Hotshot Anna (9-2 ML), who had a five-race win streak snapped when losing all chance at the start of the Nelson J. Menard Memorial on January 25, drew post eight with James Graham aboard. L T B Inc and Hillerich Racing LLC’s Unbridled Class (8-1 ML), who wired the Menard at longshot odds of 25-1, will reunite with jockey Colby Hernandez for trainer Bernie Flint from post five.
Fair Grounds Mardi Gras schedule finds live racing on Saturday, Monday and Fat Tuesday with a first post of 12:30 p.m. CT. Sunday, February 23 will be dark.
For full entries, click here: https://www.equibase.com/static/entry/FG022520USA-EQB.html#RACE8
-30-
About Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots: Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, one of the nation’s oldest racetracks, has been in operation since 1872. Located in New Orleans, LA, Fair Grounds is owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ Global
Select Market: CHDN); it also operates a slot-machine gaming facility and 13 off-track betting parlors throughout southeast Louisiana. The 148th Thoroughbred Racing Season – highlighted by the 107 th running of the Louisiana Derby – will run from November 28, 2019 through March 29, 2020. More information can be found online at www.FairGroundsRaceCourse.com.
Information set forth in this press release contains various “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the “Act”) provides certain “safe harbor” provisions for forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements made in this press release are made pursuant to the Act. The reader is cautioned that such forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time and/or management’s good faith belief with respect to future events, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in the statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date the statement was made. We assume no obligation to update forward-looking information to reflect actual results, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by the use of terms such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “will,” and similar words, although some forward-looking statements are expressed differently.
Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations include the following: the effect of economic conditions on our consumers’ confidence and discretionary spending or our access to credit; additional or increased taxes and fees; public perceptions or lack of confidence in the integrity of our business; loss of key or highly skilled personnel; restrictions in our debt facilities limiting our flexibility to operate our business; general risks related to real estate ownership, including fluctuations in market values and environmental regulations; catastrophic events and system failures disrupting our operations, including the impact of natural and other disasters on our operations and our ability to obtain insurance recoveries in respect of such losses; inability to identify and complete acquisition, expansion or divestiture projects, on time, on budget or as planned; difficulty in integrating recent or future acquisitions into our operations; legalization of online real money gaming and sports wagering in the United States, and our ability to capitalize on and predict such legalization; the number of people attending and wagering on live horse races; inability to respond to rapid technological changes in a timely manner; inadvertent infringement of the intellectual property of others; inability to protect our own intellectual property rights; security breaches and other security risks related to our technology, personal information, source code and other proprietary information, including failure to comply with regulations and other legal obligations relating to receiving, processing, storing and using personal information; payment- related risks, such as chargebacks for fraudulent credit card use; compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act or applicable money-laundering regulations; compliance with payment processing and payment transmission regulations; work stoppages and labor issues; difficulty in attracting a sufficient number of horses and trainers for full field horseraces; inability to negotiate agreements with industry constituents, including horsemen and other racetracks; personal injury litigation related to injuries occurring at our racetracks; the inability of our totalisator company, United Tote, to maintain its processes accurately, keep its technology current or maintain its significant customers; weather conditions affecting our ability to conduct live racing; increased competition in the horseracing business; changes in the regulatory environment of our racing operations; declining popularity in horseracing; seasonal fluctuations in our horseracing business due to geographic concentration of our operations; increased competition in our casino business; changes in regulatory environment of our casino business; the cost and possibility for delay, cost overruns and other uncertainties associated with the develop.m.ent and expansion of casinos; concentration and evolution of slot machine manufacturing and other technology conditions that could impose additional costs; impact of further legislation prohibiting tobacco smoking; geographic concentration of our casino business; changes in regulatory environment for our advanced deposit wagering, sports wagering, or online gaming businesses; increase in competition in the advanced deposit wagering, sports wagering, or online gaming businesses; inability to retain current customers or attract new customers to our advanced deposit wagering, sports wagering, or online gaming businesses; uncertainty and changes in the legal landscape relating to our advanced deposit wagering, sports wagering, or online gaming businesses; and failure to comply with laws requiring us to block access to certain individuals could result in penalties or impairment in our ability to offer advanced deposit wagering, sports wagering, or online gaming.
