The Run for the Roses heats up this weekend with the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby. The Louisiana Derby starts the final round of preps that boost the pool of qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby. The top four finishes in this race will earn the following points; 100-40-20-10.
Race Information:
- Track: Fair Grounds (New Orleans, LA, USA)
- Event Grade: Grade II
- Race: 12
- Post Time: 6:44 PM ET
- Length: 1 3/16 Mile
- Purse: $1,000,000
- Division: Open | Three Years Old
- Surface: Dirt
- Wagers: Exacta / $0.50 Trifecta / $0.10 Superfecta
TV Schedule:
- FS2 – America’s Day at the Races (1:00 pm – 7:00 pm)
- CNBC – Broadcast of the Louisiana Derby and Fair Grounds Oaks (6:00 pm – 7:00 pm)
Field:
| PP | HORSE | JOCKEY | TRAINER | A/S | WGT | ML |
| 1 | Silent Power | G. Melancon | S. Gelner | 3/C | 122 | 50-1 |
| 2 | Zozos | F. Geroux | B. Cox | 3/C | 122 | 8-1 |
| 3 | Call Me Midnight | J. Graham | J. Desormeaux | 3/C | 122 | 6-1 |
| 4 | Curly Tail | C. Hernandez | D. Stewart | 3/C | 122 | 30-1 |
| 5 | Kupuna | R. Gutierrez | W. Calhoun | 3/C | 122 | 8-1 |
| 6 | Epicenter | J. Rosario | S. Asmussen | 3/C | 122 | 7-5 |
| 7 | Pioneer of Medina | T. Gaffalione | T. Pletcher | 3/C | 122 | 5-1 |
| 8 | Galt | J. Alvarado | W. Mott | 3/C | 122 | 8-1 |
| 9 | Rattle N Roll | B. Hernandez | K. McPeek | 3/C | 122 | 6-1 |
Horse Preview:
(1) Silent Power: Has gone winless since his debut where he won a four and a half furlong sprint at Prairie Meadows. This will be his first stakes race of his career and looking at the rest of the field, I’m not sure he stands a chance here. A mile and 3/16th will also be the longest race of his career and in his previous longest, which was a mile, he finished 8th in a 50k claimer.
(2) Zozos: An impressive horse going 2/2 in his career. He’s coming off a win in a 100k Allowance optional at 1 1/16 miles where he won by 10+ lengths. We’ll see how he does with the step up in class here but, given his speed figure in the last race, he should be a threat.
(3) Call Me Midnight: Coming off a narrow win in the G3 Lecomte Stakes where he edged out fellow entrant Epicenter. That was his best race in a long time and struggled in the race prior finishing 8th in the G2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes. His last two workouts have been great which is an encouraging sign so we’ll see if he can beat the 7-5 favorite again.
(4) Curly Tail: He has one win in his starts in his lifetime and is actually coming off his first career win in a 84k Maiden Special Weight. He’ll need to continue to build on that performance to have a chance in this race. This will be his first stakes race that he’s entered and the toughest competition he’s seen so far.
(5) Kupuna: He’s had an interesting 2022 season finishing 1st and 2nd. Despite not winning in his last race, it was his best speed figure wise. That was his first time running at a 1 1/16 so hopefully he’s more comfortable with the additional distance now. He seems to be running much better in his last three starts. This will also be the first stakes race he’s entered.
(6) Epicenter: Got edged out by Call Me Midnight in the G3 Lecomte Stakes as I mentioned before. However, he rebounded well winning the G2 Risen Star Stakes wire to wire. He’s the most impressive horse in this race by far and given his speed figures he only seems to be getting better. There’s a reason this horse is the 7-5 favorite in the G2 Louisiana Derby.
(7) Pioneer of Medina: He finished fourth in the G2 Risen Star Stakes his last out but, was bumped. They’ll change the jockey up as Gaffalione will get the mount. He has yet to ride his horse so we’ll see if the can develop some chemistry. This horse does have some great speed figures in his last four races and has also had some great workouts as of late. If he can stick with Epicenter in the beginning, it should be interesting to see how he challenges him down the stretch.
(8) Galt: He had a scare in the G2 Fountain of Youth Stakes where he fell and lost his rider. Prior to that race he finished 4th in the G3 Holy Bull Stakes and then won a 60k MsW. I would have loved to see what he could have done in the G2 FoY Stakes but he’ll get some redemption here.
(9) Rattle N Roll: This horse is coming off a 6th place finish in the Gw FoY Stakes where he really wasn’t a factor. He’s the only horse with a G1 win as he captured the Breeders’ Futurity in the race prior, at this distance. Certainly an interesting horse as he’s more than capable of winning this race but, coming off a disappointing showing. His workouts have been fantastic so look for him to close hard here on the field as they turn for home.
Race Preview:
Front Runner(s): Epicenter, Pioneer of Medina
Off the Pace/ Stalker(s): Zozos, Galt, Rattle N Roll
Closer(s): Silent Power, Call Me Midnight, Curly Tail, Kupuna,
Picks:
- BET TO WIN: (9) RATTLE N ROLL
- I’m hoping Epicenter and Pioneer of Medina go out fast and duel from the start which should open up the race for him to come off the pace. He did struggle in his last out but has faced this level of competition before and won.
- EXACTA BOX: 3,6,9
Best of luck, and as always you can find me on Twitter @GatorBetting and Instagram @Gator_Sports_Betting.
