2022 Thanksgiving Classic Opens Week Two in New Orleans
Photo: TheFreePPs.com
Thanksgiving at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans has a long tradition of opening the racing season in the Deep South.
But for the 2022-2023 season, opening weekend was shifted forward by a week, and eight horses were loaded into the starting gate for the first race on Friday, November 18 and officially kicked off what is expected to be 80 days of great thoroughbred racing in the Crescent City.
Flashy Brew, trained by leading trainer Ron Faucheux, raced to victory in the six furlong opener under the guidance of jockey Jose Luis Rodriguez in a final time of 1:11.86. It was the only win on the opening day card for Faucheux.
Rodriguez wasn’t finished making his mark on the day, going on to win two more including the featured race of the day the Happy Ticket with Ova Charged for Brittlyn Stable, Inc. and trainer Jose Camejo.
On Saturday, three stakes races for Louisiana bred horses headlined a nine race card which was run over a sloppy strip in Gentilly to close out opening weekend. There was no racing on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday of Thanksgiving week.
2022 Thanksgiving Classic Headlines Nine-Race Card
Week two opens on Thanksgiving Day with a nine-race card that will again feature the Thanksgiving Classic Stakes for 3-year-olds going 6 furlongs and a purse of $175,000.
Heart Rhythm will break from the rail as the favorite at 3-1. Jockey Reylu “Rey” Gutierrez will be in the irons.
Simply Wicked will break from the outside post in the field of seven. Jockey C.J. McMahon will ride for trainer Roberto Diodoro, and opens as the longest price at 10-1.
A slight chance of showers is in the forecast for Thanksgiving Day in New Orleans.
