FG Stakes – GIII
$175.000 For Four Year Olds And Upwards
1 1/8 Miles – Turf
Fair Grounds – February 14, 2026

Seven horses and six owner/trainers will gather together for the twenty-first running of the FG Stakes at the Fairgrounds on Valentine’s Day. The winner’s share of the $175.000 purse will go a long way towards celebrations post-race. A different kind of run for the roses but still would be a nice one to win.

1. Manticore (High Voltage/D.E. Centeno) Multiple stakes winner who finished second in this race last year. He has not been seen since Halloween when he ran a good second in a NW4 allowance at Churchill Downs. He has been rested and his works have been very good, so he seems ready to fire a good one in his first start as a seven-year-old.

2. Hackett (Nakamura/I. Castillo) Lightly raced five-year-old who is making his sixteenth start. He was bought for $312.000 at auction last June and has only made two starts since then for his new trainer. This will be his first stakes start for his new connections, but he is a stake winner with graded stakes experience having finished second in his two graded attempts prior to the sale. He had finished second to Jakarta in the G1 Shoemaker in his race prior to the auction so you can see why he drew the price that he did. The only race where he did not bring home a check was his debut. Despite his strange lack of racing there is no reason to think he will not contend. 

3. Allegedly (Night Rider Stables/J.L. Ortiz) He was bought privately for $60.000 at the end of November weeks after he was offered for $28.000 in a claiming race weeks earlier. Since the sale he has made two starts for his new trainer, both on dirt including a good second in the G2 Cigar Mile. After starting off his year with a fourth-place finish in an optional claiming race he now moves over to the grass where he has made most of his races and is a multiple stakes winner, including having won the last three running of the TX HOF Stakes. He is fast and usually shows that speed early. He has attempted to go this far only once before in his career.

4. Seven Is Lucky (Mb Stables/P. Lopez) The biggest earner in the field with career earnings of $1.863.260. He is a multiple graded stakes winner on the grass including the G1 Shadwell Turf Mile three starts back. He ended 2025 with a fast closing fourth in the BC Mile and then stretched his legs with an open allowance win at the Fair Grounds in mid-January to start off his seven-year-old campaign. Works are still super sharp, and he comes from the top barn that places them to win.

5. Get The Axe (Maxmillion Farm/C.J. McMahon) The first of two entries for this barn and by far the lesser in terms of accomplishments on his resume. He has only raced six times before and never anywhere near this level of competition. He was claimed for $15.000 right after Christmas…of 2024. He has made two starts since and both in claiming races. He was last seen being offered for $15.000 in early January. He finished tenth in that race. Would a graded stakes race be the logical next step, not normally but that race was on a soft course so, if you are being generous, you can throw that out. You might also speculate that maybe he is entered as a rabbit for his stablemate but Whoa Bo on the outside is normally a sprinter with plenty of early speed. Maybe it is a tactic to get Bo to stretch out? Color me intrigued.

6. Extremely Great (The Sidley Stud/J.R. Velasquez) Is currently racing under the banner of his fifth owner and became a stakes winner in his last race the Unusual Heat Turf Classic a month ago. He was claimed for $8.000 about 10 months ago and appears to have come into his own as a late blooming five-year-old. He is proven at the distance and has won going wire-to-wire as well as coming off the pace, so he gives his trainer options. He is working very well on both surfaces. This is a test to see if he can move into graded company, but he is coming into it in good form and all signs appear positive. 

7. Whoa Bo (Maxmillion Farm/F. Geroux) Graded stakes winner who has put almost $1.500.000 into his owner’s coffers. That makes him automatically a top contender, right? Yes but no. All but one of his thirty-three starts have been sprinting on the grass. His only route attempt was an eighth-place finish where he was twenty-eight lengths up the track. You have to throw that out though for several reasons: it was his debut, it was on dirt and it was prior to him being gelded and going on a tear. It is interesting that he now moves to try a turf route after an entire career as a top turf sprinter. He has a stablemate entered here who seems on paper to be overmatched. Strategery? His trainer knows his way around so it will be interesting to see if he has a late career makeover up his sleeve.

Joining the chalk-eater cowards club with my choice in this one by picking Seven Is Lucky on top. He just looks too much the best in this field. Whoa Bo looks like the obvious second choice, but I am going to throw Hackett in between and slot Whoa Bo into third behind him. 

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES