Audreys time vs. clairiere in wednesday allowance

Stonestreet Stable’s grade 1 winner Clairiere , one of the top fillies in the country last year, is scheduled to return to competition March 16 in the seventh race at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. The regally-bred daughter of Curlin and multiple grade 1 victress Cavorting was last seen finishing a game fourth in the Nov. 6 Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1) at Del Mar. In what was arguably her best career performance, Clairiere was floated seven wide at the top of the lane and rallied relentlessly down the stretch, beaten only 3/4 of a length behind the victorious Marche Lorraine .

Clairiere has been on a steady work pattern since resuming training with conditioner Steve Asmussen’s Fair Grounds string this winter. The 4-year-old shaded 1:00 twice for five furlongs in her last two breezes, including a bullet :59 3/5 move Feb. 28.

“In all honesty, all we need to do is be a length better than we were last year,” said Asmussen. “(Clairiere) couldn’t be giving us any more confidence with the way she’s training. It’s worked out really well for Stonestreet, having two nice fillies in Pauline's Pearl and Clairiere. With an ideal spot to start Clairiere in a conditioned allowance race, we will see which one of the two gets to run in the (April 23) Apple Blossom Handicap (G1).”

Also campaigned by Stonestreet and trained by Asmussen, Pauline's Pearl has been enjoying a stellar 4-year-old campaign so far, capturing the Jan. 30 Houston Ladies Classic (G3) before falling three-quarters of a length short of champion Ce Ce in Saturday's Azeri Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn Park.

Clairiere will be ridden for the first time by 2021 Eclipse Award winning jockey Joel Rosario in Wednesday’s contest, a 1 1/16-mile $80,000 allowance optional claiming race for older fillies and mares on the main track.

Although Clairere is the only contender with a grade 1 win on her record in the field of six, notable challenges should come from Marylou Whitney Stables' Super Quick and Lothenbach Stables' Audrey's Time . The former brings a three-race win streak, having scored a gate-to-wire victory in a Nov. 12 allowance optional claiming race at Churchill Downs in her most recent start. Multiple graded stakes-placed Audrey's Time, trained by Neil Pessin, was third last time out to Pauline's Pearl in the Houston Ladies Classic and landed the Joseph E. Spanky Broussard Memorial Stakes over the Oaklawn course two efforts back.

Fair Grounds Barn Notes: Clairiere To Start 2022 in Allowance Race This Week

(Clairiere / Photos by Holly M. Smith)

From the Fair Grounds Barn Notes:

Stonestreet Stables’ Clairiere, the winner of the Rachel Alexandra (G2) presented by Fasig-Tipton here at Fair Grounds and the Cotillion (G1) at Parx during a stellar 3-year-old campaign for trainer Steve Asmussen, is entered to make her 4-year-old debut in Wednesday’s seventh race, a conditioned allowance event to be run over 1 1/16 miles.

A royally bred daughter of Curlin out of the multiple graded stakes winning mare Cavorting, Clairiere was most recently seen finishing fourth, beaten just ¾ of a length, behind the longshot March Lorraine in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Del Mar on November 6. A year older, wiser, stronger and in the right hands, Clairiere could be in line for monster campaign.

“In all honesty, all we need to do is be a length better than we were last year,” Asmussen said. “She couldn’t be giving us any more confidence with the way she’s training. It’s worked out really well for Stonestreet, having two nice fillies in Pauline’s Pearl and Clairiere. With an ideal spot to spot to start Clairiere in a conditioned allowance race, we will see which one of the two gets to run in the Apple Blossom.”

Installed as Mike Diliberto’s 4-5 morning line favorite, Clariere will break from post four of seven, and Joel Rosario has been named to ride.

With a distinct class edge, Clairiere looms as the one to beat on Wednesday, but a win should not be taken for granted. Chief amongst her competition is the aptly named Super Quick for Mary Lou Whitney Stables and trainer Norm Casse. The winner of three straight in gate-to-wire fashion, the daughter of Super Saver will also be making her 4-year-old debut. She was last seen dominating a second-level allowance field over a sloppy Churchill Downs strip on November 12. Super Quick’s regular pilot Joe Talamo, who has yet to ride a horse at Fair Grounds this meet, is set to reunite with the expected pacesetter (9-2 ML) from post three.

A winner just once from eight tries on turf, Lothenbach Stables’ Audrey’s Time has taken her game to a new level since focusing on dirt. She’s won two of her last four since moving over to the main track, including the locally run Joseph “Spanky” Broussard Memorial on December 27. In the other two races, she finished a competitive third behind Envoutante in the Falls City (G2) at Churchill and she was most recently third behind Pauline’s Pearl in the Houston Ladies Distaff (G3). Jareth Loveberry will partner with the 5-year-old Uncle Mo mare from post six as the 7-2 second choice.

Completing the field with post, jockey/trainer and morning line odds are: Thomas L. Holyfield’s It’sfiftyshadetime (post one-programmed as two, J.A. Guerrero/David Gomez, 20-1), the winner of consecutive races at Delta Downs including a restricted stakes; Maggi Moss’ Tizafeelin (post two-programmed as 1, Rene Diaz/Tom Amoss, 4-1e), winner of consecutive races since the $50,000 claim on November 19; Gulliver Racing’s Microcap (post five, James Graham/Grant Forster, 10-1), a four-time winner who will be making her 5-year-old debut; and Maggi Moss’ Misty Veil (post seven- programmed as 1a, Rene Diaz/Tom Amoss, 4-1e), twice a route allowance winner at the current Fair Grounds meet.

Post time for Wednesday’s seventh race is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. CT. With a closing day of Sunday, March 27, Fair Grounds will race Wednesday through Sunday the final two weeks of the meet. The draw for the Saturday, March 26 Louisiana Derby Day card will take place on Saturday, March 19.