Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots is set to uphold its year-end tradition on Saturday, December 27, featuring two prominent races: the $100,000 Woodchopper and the $100,000 Pago Hop, both 1 1/16-mile turf stakes for three-year-old horses. The event includes 11 races, with the Woodchopper scheduled as race five and the Pago Hop as race nine, kicking off at 12:45 PM Central Time.
The Woodchopper race has seven male entrants, including two trained by Mike Stidham, with Montador, the morning’s 2-1 favorite, leading the field. Montador, owned by Godolphin, boasts significant wins at Kentucky Downs and Churchill Downs and recently competed in the Commonwealth Turf (G3) at Churchill Downs on November 22, where he finished just behind the winner. Brian Hernandez Jr. will ride Montador, aiming for his first victory with the horse.
Juris Doctor, a stablemate owned by Pin Oak Stud, will run for the first time wearing blinkers with Axel Concepcion as the jockey. Kentucky Derby participant Flying Mohawk returns to Fair Grounds—trained by Whit Beckman and owned by a group including former MLB star Jason Werth—ready to compete without blinkers after a tough finish in a recent race.
The full Woodchopper lineup, including jockeys, trainers, and morning line odds, is: Coco Cool (15-1), Faber (8-1), Juris Doctor (3-1), JoJo Go (3-1), Flying Mohawk (8-1), Editor (2-1), and Savion (8-1).
In the Pago Hop, six of the nine fillies come from the stables of Brad Cox, Kenny McPeek, and Brett Calhoun, with Cox-trained Bracelet and Here the Queen favored in the morning line. Bracelet started on Tapeta at Turfway Park before winning a Class 1 allowance on Keeneland turf, while Here the Queen, ridden by Michael Pietrangelo, seeks her fourth win from eight starts.
McPeek’s Pago Hop contenders include Unmerited Favor and Caviar Breakfast, both accomplished runners, while Calhoun’s stablemates Multiplication and Ninth Island have proven their stamina in longer races.
The complete Pago Hop field with jockeys, trainers, and odds includes: Sea to Sky (5-1), Here the Queen (4-1), Cheetah Lady (8-1), Lady of the Sky (20-1), No. 9 Island (12-1), Ungrateful Favor (6-1), Caviar Breakfast (9-2), Multiplication (10-1), and Bracelet (3-1).
After a quiet Christmas Day, live racing resumes at Fairgrounds on Friday, December 26, with a 10-race card starting at 12:45 PM Central Time.
Fan Take: This year-end event shines a spotlight on promising three-year-olds, showcasing emerging talent that can shape the future of horse racing. For fans, it promises thrilling competition and a glimpse of potential stars that could dominate major races ahead.
