Monday was a busy morning for 3-year-olds based at Fair Grounds with stakes races likely on their immediate agenda - most of them trained by Steve Asmussen. Owing to freezing weather, Monday's breezes were the first for Asmussen's second-, third-, and fourth-place Lecomte Stakes finishers since that race on Jan. 13. The Asmussen sophomores of note that worked Monday were:

-- Principe Guilherme 5f in 1:00.40 - Lecomte S. runner up targeting Risen Star at Fair Grounds
-- Snapper Sinclair 5f in 1:01 - set strong pace and was third in Lecomte. Excelled on turf last year
-- Zing Zang 5f in 1:01.40 -- Lecomte fourth-place finisher is a mountain of a horse that needs distance
-- Copper Bullet 5f in 1:02.40 - just coming back from long layoff, first work at 5f
-- Tap Daddy 5f in 1:02.60 -- no match for Mourinho and Combatant in Smarty Jones; back to turf
-- Reride 5f 1:02.60 -- Big Drama S. winner at Delta last out is, for now at least, a cut below

Also on the Monday tab was the horse I figure will be favored in the Rachel Alexandra Stakes next month at Fair Grounds -- Monomoy Girl. The Brad Cox-trained 3-year-old filly went 5f in a snappy 1:00 and is well on her way to race fitness after getting a break following a strong second-place finish in the Golden Rod S. last Nov. 25.

Cox also worked High North, most recently fourth in the Nov. 25 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes. High North has two options for his 3-year-old debut, with the Southwest at Oaklawn probably a more likely landing spot than the Risen Star.