Tough Stidham Trio in $60,000 Bayou Stakes

Trainer Michael Stidham is scheduled to have three starters in the race including Instanford, the morning line favorite at odds of 5-2. A four-year-old daughter of Istan, she has won five of her twelve starts including a pair of graded stakes. As a juvenile, she won an optional claiming race over the Fair Grounds turf. The bay filly has been training steadily for her first start of the year and will break from post position four under jockey Rafael Bejarano.

Notte d'Oro going for three in a row 

Also coming out of the Stidham barn is the second choice, Notte d’Oro, tabbed at odds of 7-2 on the morning line. A four-year-old daughter of Medaglia d’Oro, she comes into this race off of back-to-back victories on the Fair Grounds turf and earned the first stakes victory of her seven-race career last time out. Regular rider James Graham will remain in the irons and they are scheduled to break from the rail.

Veteran Eden Prairie always a contender

Also in the field at morning line odds of 4-1 is Eden Prairie for trainer Neil Pessin. A five-year-old daughter of Mizzen Mast, she was second in the 2014 edition of the Bayou Stakes. She was last seen finishing second to Notte d’Oro in the Marie G. Krantz Memorial and closed out her 2014 season with a win in the Blushing K.D. Stakes. Florent Geroux will be back aboard from post position nine.