Handicapping: 112th Louisiana Derby; Full Card Selections

By Rick Francis —-

Fair Grounds Race Course “Road to the Kentucky Derby” series comes to a conclusion with the running of the 112th Grade 2 Louisiana Derby and along with the winner’s share of the $1 million purse, a starting spot in the 151st edition of the “Run for the Roses”

A testing distance of a mile & three-sixteenths await this field of ten sophomore colts each looking to prove they’re ready for the next step to racing immortality; let’s have a look at the field.

Race 12) Grade II 1 3/16 Miles Dirt. Purse $1,000,000. Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby. FOR THREE YEAR OLDS

1) John Hancock (Cox/Prat); exits a gut check score in the SF Davis at Tampa; class & distance test today.
2) Chunk of Gold (West/Loveberry); rallied to place in Risen Star, extra 110 yards here could be difference.
3) Tiztastic (Asmussen/Rosario); makes fifth graded start, fears none in here.
4) Yinzer (Asmussen/Curtis); exits maiden score, would be a shocker.
5) Caldera (Lukas/Gaffalione); rounding into form, missed by a nose in Sunland Derby.
6) Built (Catalano/Ortiz, J,); is one across the board in FG Derby series, looks to rebound from Star effort.
7) Vassimo (Pletcher/Ortiz, I.); trainer knows how to win this contest, stayed on last out in Risen Star.
8) Furio (Sharp/Saez); fastest of bunch how far he can carry that speed is the question.
9) Instant Replay (Cox/Geroux); dominated pricey OC’s here last out, including speed to his inside.
10) Hypnus (McPeek/Hernandez, B.); 2024’s Derby/Oaks winning team may have to wait longer for this one.

Selections; 6, 2, 7, 3 + 9

Race 1) MAIDEN SPECIAL WEIGHT. 1 Mile Turf. Purse $60,000. FOR MAIDENS, FILLIES THREE YEARS OLD

6) All Night Revival (DeVaux/Ortiz, J.)
4) Never Really Know (Casse/Saez)
9) Massarat (Walsh/Gaffalione)
11) Fugitive Star (Cox/Geroux)
All AE’s 13, 14, 14

Race 2) MAIDEN SPECIAL WEIGHT. 6 Furlongs Dirt. Purse $60,000 LA BRED MAIDENS, THREE YEARS OLD

11) Custom Cleared (Foster/Murrill)
5) Yorktowm Panther (Ramirez/Curtis)
6) Mai Tai No Ice ( Felks/Nieves)
9) Gabe’s Possum (Landry/Melancon)
ALL AE”s 13, 14, 1,5,16

Race 3) MAIDEN SPECIAL WEIGHT. 6 Furlongs Dirt. Purse $60,000. FOR MAIDENS, FILLIES THREE YEARS OLD.

6) Saucier (Cox/Geroux)
3) Shewontbudge (Cox/Prat)
1) Contorted (Amoss/Morales)
2) Mindy’s Union (Schultz/Hernandez, C.)
10) Stlish Lady ( DeVaux/Ortiz, J.)

Race 4) ALLOWANCE OPTIONAL CLAIMING. 1 1/16 Miles Turf. Purse $60,000. FOR FOUR YEAR OLDS AND UPWARD

1) St. Armands Key (Sharp/Ortiz, J.)
2) Le Gris (Stall/Rosario)
6) Camaro Z (Foley/Gaffalione)
10) Eff Thirty Five (Russell/Geroux)
3) Breaking Alone (Flint/Murrill)

Race 5) STAKES. 1 Mile 70Y Dirt. Purse $100,000. Crescent City Oaks. FOR FILLIES THREE YEARS OLD, ACCREDITED LOUISIANA BRED

2) Blue Fire (Asmussen/Ortiz, J.)
3) Secret Faith (Gelner/Geroux)
4) Margie’s Intention (Walsh/Ortiz, I.)
7) Warrior’s Justice (Walsh/Curtis)

Race 6) STAKES. 5 1/2 Furlongs Turf. Purse $100,000. Costa Rising S.. FOR THREE YEAR OLDS AND UPWARD, ACCREDITED LOUISIANA BRED.

4) Geaux Sugar (Bourgeois/Murrill)
9) Brian’s Iron Mike (Landry/Curtis)
8) Big Chopper (Gelner/Barrera)
12) Tussling Charlie (Thomas/Green)

Race 7) STAKES. 1 1/16 Miles Dirt. Purse $100,000. Crescent City Derby. FOR THREE YEAR OLDS, ACCREDITED LOUISIANA BRED.

12) A Passive Nobody (Gabriel/Gaffalione)
4) Sippin On Gin (Calhoun/Concepcion)
5) Dapper Moon (Stewart/Hernandez, B.)
10) Acknowledge (Sharp/Ortiz, I.)
8) Classic Time (Casse/Ortiz, J.)

Race 8) STAKES. 1 1/16 Miles Turf. Purse $150,000. Tom Benson Memorial S.. FOR FILLIES AND MARES FOUR YEARS OLD AND UPWARD

4) Tuffani (Stidham/Curtis)
3) Way to Be Marie (Atras/Geroux)
9) Distorted d’Oro (Stidham/Ortiz, J.)
11) Eastern Empress (Clement/Rosario)
10 Wild Bout Hillary (Tracy/Loveberry)

Race 9) Grade II 1 1/8 Miles Dirt. Purse $500,000. New Orleans Classic S. Presented by Relyne GI By Hagyard. FOR FOUR YEAR OLDS AND UPWARD

7) Sierra Leone (Brown/Prat)
9) Komorebino Omoide (Diodoro/Melancon)
2) Hall of Fame (Asmussen/Ortiz, J.)
5) Touchuponastar (Delhomme/Thornton)
1) Kinetic (C0x/Saez)

Race 10) Grade II 1 1/8 Miles Turf. Purse $300,000. Muniz Memorial Classic S. Presented by Horse Racing Nation. FOR FOUR YEAR OLDS AND UPWARD

6) Spirit of St Louis (Brown/Gaffalione)
5) Redistricting (Brown/Prat)
8) Brilliant Berti (DeVaux/Hernandez, B.)
1) Gifante (Amussen/Rosario)

Race 11) Grade II 1 1/16 Miles Dirt. Purse $400,000. Fasig-Tipton Fair Grounds Oaks. FOR FILLIES THREE YEARS OLD.

7) Good Cheer (Cox/Saez)
3) Ahavah (DeVaux/Ortiz, J.)
8) Secret Faith (Gelner/Loveberry)
1) Girl Math (Brisset/Prat)