Reigning Champ Shane Wilson Locked and Loaded Opening Weekend at Fair Grounds

New Orleans, La (Nov. 21, 2024) – Last year’s meet leaders at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots all had one thing in common: Shane Wilson. In securing his first trainer’s title with 50 in the win column, Wilson’s success translated into his first call rider Jose Guerrero and his top owner Brittlyn Stable winning their respective titles. With 20 entries over opening weekend at Fair Grounds, including runners in four of the six Louisiana-bred stakes, Wilson will come out firing as he looks to run it back. 

On Friday at Fair Grounds, the $100,000 Joseph R. Peluso kicks off the Louisiana-bred added money action as Race 5, attracting seven freshman sprinters. First post for Friday’s 9-race program is 12:45 p.m. CT. 

The second stake on the opening day card is the $100,000 Delmar R. Caldwell Memorial, a 6-furlong dirt sprint for older fillies and mares, and Wilson has two entered: Brittlyn Stable’s Spirited Beauty and Tye Smith’s Don’tcallmepatsy who will take on the 5-2 morning line favorite in Victorious Racing’s Manama Gold, entered by Cherie DeVaux. 

Spirited Beauty

“We freshened her up (this summer and fall),” Wilson said. “She kinda chased Ova (Charged) last year, and then we tried her at a route of ground, but I think she’s a better sprinter. We should be way back early and closing hard.”

Dont’callmepatsy

“She’s doing great,” Wilson said. “She’s quick. She’s mean. I’ve got one hundred horses and nobody is as mean as her. She is a rattlesnake if you go into a stall with her. She’s got an outside post, she’s got speed. Patsy should help keep the pace honest up front for the other filly.”

Beyond the Caldwell, Wilson has six runners in five other races, including Thermoscat, a Brittlyn Stable homebred, debuting in Race 6, an open company Maiden Special Weight turf sprint; Dawn Robin and Scotty Robin’s Call Me Susan, a 2-year-old filly made the 7-2 morning line favorite in the nightcap; and Wayne Davis’ 10-time winning 8-year-old Glenn’s Jumper in Race 2.

Thermoscat

“He’s a Star Guitar out of a Scat Daddy mare,” Wilson said. “I know he’s in there with a (horse trained by) Brad Cox and a couple like that. He’s not a pretty horse–he’s tall, lean and lanky, but he’s a talented horse. He’s had some really good works with some good company.”

Call Me Susan 

“She’s back in against maidens on Saturday,” Wilson said. “She’s been running in stakes races against Secret Faith (the odds-on morning line favorite in Saturday’s Ferguson Memorial). My filly can run some.”

Glenn’s Jumper

“He’s a warrior,” Wilson said. “He had a bad beat last time out at Louisiana Downs. A horse passed him, he came back, took the lead again but then just got worn down. He’s here, came in from Shreveport last week. I put (Jose) Riquelme on him who always does a good job.”

Wilson has entries in three of the four stakes slated for Saturday’s 10-race program. Post time is 12:45 p.m. CT and the added money action begins in Race 3 with the $100,000 Donovan L. Ferguson for freshman fillies going 6 furlongs. 

Scheduled as Race 7, the $100,000 Andrew Ney Memorial brings together 11 older dirt sprinters, including a relatively new addition to Wilson’s barn, Robin Lane Thoroughbreds’ homebred Mike J.

Mike J

“I think we’ll be forwardly placed in there,” Wilson said. “He bobbled at the start and ripped the front shoe off when he ran fourth on Champions Day (at Louisiana Downs). But he did it without one shoe. Which is the worst thing that can happen for him because he’s got bad feet. We’ve got him down here and his workouts have gotten better each time he’s worked over this track. He worked amazing the other, 47 and change, galloped out in a minute. In his work the other day he just flew around there and didn’t want to pull up.”

The 1 mile 70 yards $100,000 Jacob V. Morreale for older males follows the Ney, and Brittlyn Stable’s homebred Behemah Star trained by Wilson will look to continue his success around the local oval, where he has finished in the exacta in 11 of 12 starts. 

Behemah Star

“Behemah had a mishap at Evangeline when he ran down there (in August),” Wilson said. “He was kicking at the gate and hung his back leg up in there, and he came out of there with a little hitchy behind. Then he got in a crazy speed duel. We lost some time with him but he’s good now. Everything is healed up and sound. He’s dappled out. He worked really good the work before last. This last work was a real easy, couple deep breaths kind of work. I think they’ll see the Behemah Star that was here last year if everything goes well.”

Brittlyn Stable’s Clearly a Test will look to steal the $100,000 John Valene Memorial headline from Free Like a Girl in Saturday’s finale. The 3-year-old trained by Wilson broke her maiden in the Ferguson over opening weekend last year, and since then has crossed the finish line first in three stakes, though she was disqualified and placed second in the 2023 Crescent City Oaks. A new addition to the Fair Grounds jockey colony, Jose Ortiz has the call.

Clearly a Test

“I tried to run her short (in the Louisiana Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Louisiana Downs) because there wasn’t a route dirt race for her and she had won a stake sprinting as a baby,” Wilson said. “We got away from the gate bad and she didn’t get to show her best there. It was enough reason to sort of back off on her and let her freshen up. She’s really, really good. She’s grown. She’s a big three-turning-four. She’s had a couple of nice works here, not even asking her for anything, just sitting on her. Nice easy works. Of course she’s got to beat Free Like a Girl. Hopefully we can take that step up.”

Last year’s top jockey, Jose Guerrero, will continue to be Wilson’s first call at Fair Grounds, but is serving a 4-day suspension.

“(Guerrero) will be back on day 5,” Wilson said. “We’ll get rocking when he gets back, but hopefully we can make a good showing until then.”

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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, which is owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ Global Select Market: CHDN), also operates a slot-machine gaming facility and 15 off-track betting parlors throughout Southeast Louisiana. The 153rd Thoroughbred Racing Season–highlighted by the 112th running of the Louisiana Derby–will run from Nov. 22, 2024 through March 23, 2025. More information is available online at www.fgno.com.