Blog

The premier race at Louisiana Downs this summer, the Super Derby, is not for another month, but this Saturday is the track’s Prelude Day.  The day features six stakes races including the local prep for the Super Derby.  Of the six stakes races, five of them are on the turf and two of those are for two-year-olds.

The Prelude drew a field of nine led by the morning line favorite Coyote Legend.  Coyote Legend has won six of his last seven races, but none of those were in open company on the main track going a route of ground.  The same connections of top older horse Blame bring their three-year-old colt Apart into the Prelude.  Apart only has a maiden victory to his name, but must be respected.  Down With Dixie also rates a shot off his fourth place finish in the Iowa Derby where both the first and third place runners in that race came back to win their next starts.  Holiday Buzz is another to consider and he can make it a big afternoon for offspring of Afleet Alex.

In the 19 Pacific Classic races there have been two horses to win it in back-to-back years.  This year, Richard’s Kid will try to duplicate the efforts of Skimming and Tinner’s Way.  Last year Richard’s Kid was a 24.4-1 outsider and while he won’t be 24.4-1 this year, he will be one of the favorites come post time.  The probable favorite could be The Usual Q.T. even with his zero-for-five record on a synthetic track.

The interesting aspect of this race will be the pace scenario.  Isle of Giant’s and Temple City will both have their sites on the front end.  Temple City has the class edge, but P-Val on Isle of Giant’s can never be discounted.  The Usual Q.T. should get the good stalking trip as will Hold Me Back. Hold Me Back picks up Garrett Gomez, who has won the race four times including in 2008 with Go Between.  Go Between was trained by the same trainer as Hold Me Back is, Bill Mott.  Awesome Gem was able to get to the winner’s circle in his last and this is his fourth straight Pacific Classic race.  As the first leg of the pick-4 this race could be a good spot to use “all” especially with a probable short-priced favorite in California Nectar in the last.

If betting two-year-olds is your specialty then look no further than the Calder card on Saturday.  There are 13 races for the juveniles, including six stakes races.  The stakes are run over the turf and dirt and are all worth $100,000.  Last year’s winner of the Affirmed, Jackson Bend, went on to run in this year’s Triple Crown series.

This year the Affirmed drew a field of six, which is the lowest of any of the stakes races along with the Susan’s Girl.  The best betting races are the two turf races and the two around two turns on the main track.  The best bet of the day could come in the first stakes race, the Fasig Tipton Turf Dash.  On speed figures alone Madman Diaries is a standout, but throw in his excellent turf breeding and he appears to be a single on all the multi-race exotics.

The feature at Monmouth Park on Saturday is the Grade 3 Phillip H. Iselin Stakes where I Want Revenge makes his second start since scratching the morning of the 2009 Kentucky Derby.  In his first start, which was in July, I Want Revenge sat off the pace, but ran evenly and finished third.  The winner of that race, Haynesfield, ran a disappointing race in the Whitney, but the second place finisher, Convocation, came back to score.  I Want Revenge is the morning line favorite, but he will be tested by Redding Colliery.

Redding Colliery has three of his last four and has speed figures of 100 or more in those four races.  Even though he started his winning ways on the front end Redding Colliery proved in his last two that he can sit just off the pace.  This should be his running style on Saturday with Our Edge in the field.  Gone Astray and Duke of Mischief have races that will make them competitive, but will need to run their best races to beat I Want Revenge or Redding Colliery.

On Saturday Evening Jewel will try to continue her winning ways on Saturday in the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks.  Evening Jewel has won five times in her career, including the last two and has been first or second in 10 of her 11 career races.  She has shown in her career that she can be effective on the lead or from just off the pace.  It is possible that in this race Evening Jewel will be on the pace as there really is not another confirmed front runner in the group.  Trying to beat her will be nine other fillies including two shipping across the pond from England.

Distinctive may be the preferred of the shippers as she has been racing in graded stakes this year, but both of the Euro-fillies will be making their first start over a mile on the turf.  Harmonious is the likely second choice off her score in the Grade 1 American Oaks.  She is bred up and down for the turf and is a perfect three-for-three on the sod.  Trip handicappers will definitely land on Crisp.  While Evening Jewel was getting a good trip outside, Crisp was getting a nightmare trip all around.  She is drawn outside and can make her presence known in the stretch.  It Tiz and the East Coast-shipper Perfect Shirl deserve a look as well.  The owner of Perfect Shirl, Charles Fipke, won the Del Mar Oaks last year with Internallyflawless.