MCLAUGHLIN WILL POINT AVERY ISLAND TO GRADE II LOUISIANA DERBY

By Ryan Martin —-

McLaughlin Will Point Avery Island To Grade II Louisiana Derby
• Asmussen Makes Plans For Derby Hopefuls
• Walsh Looks Ahead With Allowance Winner Dark Templar
• Post Time For Louisiana Derby Day Moved To 12:30

MCLAUGHLIN WILL POINT AVERY ISLAND TO GRADE II LOUISIANA DERBY

Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin is planning on shipping Avery Island to the Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots for the Grade II $1 million Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (100-40-20-10) on Mar. 24.

“It’s good timing in between (the Gr. III Withers Stakes on Feb. 3 and Gr. I Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve on May 5) and we feel that he wants a mile and an eighth,” McLaughlin said. “He’s forwardly placed but he doesn’t have to be on the lead, he’s pretty push button. (Jockey) Joe Bravo rides him and he knows the track well.”

Owned by Godolphin LLC, the 3-year-old son of Street Sense won the Gr. III Withers Stakes at Aqueduct in his most recent effort, where he acquired 10 points on Churchill Downs’ Road To The Kentucky Derby. Avery Island currently sits at No. 11 with a total of 14 points. He earned four points when finishing second in the Gr. II Remsen Stakes behind Catholic Boy.

Along with Avery Island, McLaughlin also plans on sending graded stakes-placed Lucullan, also owned by Godolphin LLC, to the New Orleans oval for the Gr. II $300,000 Muniz Memorial Handicap over the Stall-Wilson Turf Course, also run on Mar. 24.

ASMUSSEN MAKES PLANS FOR DERBY HOPEFULS

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen discussed plans for some of his 3-year-olds that competed in last weekend’s preps on the Road to The Kentucky Derby.

In the Gr. II Risen Star Stakes, Asmussen saddled Snapper Sinclair and Principe Guilherme who went in to finish a respective second and seventh in the second of three local Kentucky Derby preps.

Owned by Bloom Racing Stable LLC, Snapper Sinclair set a slow pace in the Risen Star, but was nosed out by Bravazo in the final strides of the event. The son of City Zip will train up to the Gr. II Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby on Mar. 24, while no set plans have yet been made for Principe Guilherme.

“We’re going to reevaluate with Guilherme, we’re disappointed with his race,” Asmussen said. “Snapper came out of it in good shape and will train up to the Louisiana Derby.”

In addition to a runner-up effort in the Risen Star, Snapper Sinclair was third in the Gr. III Lecomte back in January. With his pair of on-the-board efforts in the Fair Grounds’ local Derby preps, he currently sits at No. 4 on the Leaderboard with 22 points. Meanwhile, Principe Guilherme has acquired four points with his runner-up effort in the Gr. III Lecomte.

On Monday afternoon, Asmussen saddled a trio of runners in the Gr. III Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park, one of which was L and N Racing’s Retirement Fund who got his career off started on a good note with a pair of victories over the Fair Grounds main track, but could do no better than seventh over the Hot Springs oval.

“I will probably return Retirement Fund here to run (in the Louisiana Derby) with him being two-for-two here,” Asmussen said.

WALSH LOOKS AHEAD WITH ALLOWANCE WINNER DARK TEMPLAR

Newtown Anner Stud’s Dark Templar had finished behind Derby hopefuls Retirement Fund and Principe Guilherme in some of his prior efforts, but defeated winners in an allowance event for 3-year-olds on Monday afternoon under the guidance of jockey Florent Geroux.

“We’ve worked hard on him mentally,” trainer Brendan Walsh said. “The boys have done a good job on him just to get him to relax and he was nice (Monday). He was happy out in front and he was lobbing away. (Florent Geroux) said he never had to get that serious with him until the very last eighth or sixteenth of a mile when he turned his stick over. It’s a learning process with him and he’s responding so I think he’ll have a good year.”

Walsh discussed the possibility of running Dark Templar in the Gr. II $1 million Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (100-40-20-10) on Mar. 24.

“It might be (a possibility),” Walsh said. “We’ll see how he comes out of this and talk to the owners.”

POST TIME FOR LOUISIANA DERBY DAY MOVED TO 12:30

The post time for Louisiana Derby Day, Saturday March 24 has been moved up a half-hour to 12:30 pm central time. Other stakes events on the card include:

• Gr. II $400,000 Fair Grounds Oaks (100-40-20-10) for 3-year-old fillies going a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the main track
• Gr. II $400,000 New Orleans Handicap for 4-year-olds an upward going a mile-and-an-eighth on the main track
• Gr. II $300,000 Muniz Memorial Handicap for 4-year-olds and upwards going a-mile-and-an-eighth on the Stall-Wilson Turf Course
• $50,000 New Orleans Ladies Overnight Stakes for fillies and mares four years old and upward going a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the Stall-Wilson Turf Course
• $60,000 Costa Rising Stakes for Louisiana-breds at least four years old going five-and-a-half furlongs on the Stall-Wilson Turf Course
• $75,000 Crescent City Derby for Louisiana-bred 3-year-olds going a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the main track
• $75,000 Crescent City Oaks for Louisiana-bred 3-year-old fillies going a mile-and-70-yards on the main track