Tiffany Lass fits Cassatt's plans; Villandry targeting Fair Grounds' turf stakes

Tiffany Lass fits Cassatt's plans; Villandry targeting Fair

Grounds' turf stakes

Fox Hill Farm's Cassatt came out of her facile 4 1/2-length victory in the

$300,000 Zia Park Oaks on November 26 no worse for the wear and is set to race

in Sunday's $50,000

Tiffany

Lass at Fair Grounds in what could be a launching point for a promising 2015

campaign. On Tuesday morning, the three-year-old filly worked a strong five

furlongs in 1:01 1/5 for conditioner Larry Jones.

"She worked well," Jones said. "We entered her for Sunday here in the Tiffany

Lass. It sets it up for the ($400,000) Houston Ladies Classic. When they put the

(Tiffany Lass) back in, it made the timing perfect coming out of the Zia Park

Oaks.  It is almost dead-center and works really good for us."

Hopes have always been high for the regally-bred gray lass, who sold for

$300,000 as a 2012 Keeneland September sale yearling and counts the Grade 3

Monmouth Oaks in August among her two stakes wins. A daughter of superstar sire

Tapit, Cassatt hails from the immediate family of champions Kitten's Joy and

Dreaming of Anna, as well as Grade 1 winner Precious Kitten and Grade 2 winners

Lewis Michael and Justenuffhumor. She's earned $339,233 from a 7-4-1-0 record.

"She's doing really well," Jones continued. "The (Zia Park Oaks) didn't seem

like it was super-taxing on her. She still needs some experience. When she is

hooking up with these older horses, she still is a little bit lightly raced for

a (soon to be) four-year-old. Another practice race isn't going to hurt her."

Gainesway Stable's graded turf stakes winner Villandry has taken aim on the

triad of graded turf stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course, according to trainer

Charles LoPresti. The five-year-old homebred gelding exits a career-best

performance when powering clear of the field by nearly three lengths in the

Grade 3 River City H. at Churchill Downs over nine grassy furlongs on November

8. On Monday, the son of Mr. Greeley put in his first local work, a leisurely

five furlongs in 1:02 4/5.

"He's doing really well," LoPresti said. "A lot of my horses get the winter

off, so I sent him to (trainer) David Carroll (at Fair Grounds). (Gainesway

principal) Mr. Beck wanted to go on with him and I've been in direct contact

with David.

"We're going to run in the (Grade 3) Colonel (E.R.) Bradley Stakes (on

January 17) and take it from there. As long as he continues to do well, we'll

keep him down there and move on to the other stakes."

Like many of the famous geldings in the LoPresti barn, Villandry showed

talent at a young age, but has really come into his own in the later years of

his career. A five-time winner, the River City was his first graded stakes tally

and followed a good third in the Grade 3 Sycamore Stakes at Keeneland and a

respectable fourth in both the Grade 1 Northern Dancer Stakes at Woodbine and

Grade 2 Firecracker Stakes at Churchill Downs.

"He's been a really good horse this year," LoPresti continued. "He didn't get

beat by far in the Northern Dancer or in the Firecracker and he's coming along

the right way. Hopefully it pans out for us."

The 1 1/16-miles Bradley is followed by the Grade 3 Fair Grounds H. at 1

1/8-miles on February 21 and ultimately the centerpiece of the meet for turf

horses, the Grade 2 Mervin H. Muniz Jr. Memorial H. on Louisiana Derby Day,

March 28, at the same distance.

Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com