Mardi Gras Stakes
Purse $100.000 – For Fillies And Mares Four Years Old And Upward
5 ½ Furlongs – Turf
Fair Grounds – February 17, 2026
This year marks the 21st running of the Mardi Gras Stakes, featuring a field of five fillies and mares set to line up in the starting gate. Mb Stables has won this race in back-to-back years, and the stakes record was set in 2021 by Cassandra G, who covered the 5 ½ furlongs in 1:02.32. A small but competitive group of stakes and allowance winners will vie for the $100.000 purse.
1. Lwaxana – (Alydar Stables, I. Castillo) The highest earner in the field with $617.920 in purse money, Lwaxana has won multiple stakes while sprinting on the grass. She owns three victories over this turf course and is coming off a stakes win in the Menard Memorial here at Fair Grounds. Her recent running lines are somewhat spotty, with her best efforts coming on off tracks. There should be enough early pace to set up her closing kick, but she needs to avoid being shuffled too far back.
2. Ginger Tulip – (The Sidley Stud, P. Lopez) This homebred filly has proven she can be versatile, winning on dirt and turf while handling both sprint and route distances. Her strongest figures have come on the dirt, though she has remained competitive in her three turf starts. Sharp recent turf works at Parx suggest she is ready for this assignment. Ginger wired the field two starts back on dirt with Paco Lopez aboard, and similar front-running tactics appear likely for this race too.
3. China Grove – (Xcel Racing, J. Ortiz) Calling her a good claim would be an understatement, as this mare has won four of her last five starts for her new connections. She also has not finished worse than second in her past nine outings. China has been exceptionally consistent at the five-furlong distance and now stretches out an additional half-furlong, which could work to her advantage. If she is ready to step forward into stakes company, she is going to be my top pick.
4. Tell Milady – (Nakamura Stables, B. Curtis) Nearly all of her 40 career starts have come on the dirt, with only three attempts on turf. She did score a turf sprint victory in October 2024, though her strongest recent figures have been earned on the dirt. Her recent grass works haven’t been too flashy, but Milady brings the most experience in the field. She does her best running when positioned close to the pace, and similar tactics are expected here.
5. Stayawayfrommyman – (Bears Stable, F. Geroux) This filly hasn’t done much wrong in her 9 career starts, finishing off the board only once. She exits a wire-to-wire turf sprint allowance victory at Belterra Park. Two races back she missed by a nose in the same allowance race. The New Mexico homebred has shown steady form, but she will need to step forward to match the strength of this field.
– Ajm
Categories: STAKES ARTICLES, Ungraded