Fair Grounds Press

In the Crescent City, LA, Thursday’s Thanksgiving Classic for a purse of one hundred seventy-five thousand dollars at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots has attracted nine seasoned male sprinters, and three of them are millionaires headed by Charles Marquis’ Bear River. For the 101st running, their collective coffers reach $6,598,333, leaving connections plenty to celebrate—for example, several entrants already own seven‑figure ledgers.

Carded as the ninth race at six furlongs over the dirt, the Classic tops a ten‑race slate that begins at 12:00 p.m. CT; the new 20‑cent Crescent City 6 kicks off in Race 5 with a $6,192 carryover, and 102 total entries fill the program.

With earnings of $1,698,823, Bear River most recently scored in September’s Turf Sprint (G2) at Kentucky Downs, a win that awarded a berth to the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1). Over the five‑furlong trip he was relegated toward the rear, a distance trainer Keith Desormeaux long considered a question—for instance, a dash that sharp can blunt a late kick.

Given a morning line of 10‑1—mainly because all four of his stakes victories landed either on turf or on wet footing—Bear River’s price signals parity in the group; two other millionaires also appear, Baby Yoda and Surveillance, both campaigned by Flying P Stable.

Winner of Saratoga’s 2024 True North (G2), Baby Yoda has earned the bulk of his $1,021,320 in New York. Claimed for one hundred thousand dollars from Bill Mott in August and moved to Robert Falcone Jr., the 7‑year‑old has made one start for his new team, finishing last in the Vosburgh (G3).

Thursday will serve as Baby Yoda’s first appearance at Fair Grounds, whereas Surveillance has logged seven local main‑track starts with six wins and a second. He captured the off‑the‑turf Troy (G3) in 2024 and missed by a neck in this year’s John A. Nerud (G2); since being claimed by Mike Maker in August for $75,000, he has run twice—winning the David Vance at Remington Park, then finishing a trouble‑marred fourth in Churchill Downs’ Bet On Sunshine (for example, a tight pocket can occur).

As for the pari‑mutuel line, both Baby Yoda and Surveillance are pegged at 5‑1.

Komorebino Omoide, bred in Japan, returns for trainer Robertino Diodoro as the 3‑1 morning‑line favorite following roughly three months away, having finished second to Miles Ahead in last year’s Thanksgiving Classic.

Thanksgiving Classic lineup, drawn from the rail outward (jockey, trainer, and quoted odds listed):

The Donegal Clan (Carlos Perez, Dane Noel, 12‑1); Goodlookinjustice (Fernando De La Cruz, Aaron West, 12‑1); Wendelssohn (Marcelino Pedroza Jr., Chris Hartman, 8‑1); Bear River (James Graham, Desormeaux, 10‑1); Komorebino Omoide (Paco Lopez, Diodoro, 3‑1); Baby Yoda (Reylu Gutierrez, Falcone, 5‑1); Surveillance (Ben Curtis, Maker, 5‑1); Mondogetsbuckets (Axel Concepción, Chris Block, 6‑1); The Wine Steward (Jareth Loveberry, Maker, 7‑2).

Thanksgiving Day tickets can be purchased at .