Tomorrow’s Road to the Derby Kickoff Day Card is Jam Packed with Quality & Wagering Opportunities

By Joe Kristufek —-

Top to Bottom, Tomorrow’s Road to the Derby Kickoff Day Card is Jam Packed with Quality & Wagering Opportunities

Big ticket items, classy pedigrees & top connections prominent in non-stakes events

New Orleans, La (December 29, 2025) – The marquee events on tomorrow’s “Road to the Derby Kickoff” card at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots are undoubtedly the Gun Runner & the Untapable – offering 10-5-3-2-1 points on the road to the Kentucky Derby & Oaks 152 respectively, but a pair of supporting stakes for older routers – the Tenacious on dirt & the Buddy Diliberto Memorial on turf — add additional strength to the 12-race program. There are eight maiden special weight races, many of which will have direct implications on “Road to the Derby” day – featuring the Lecomte (G3) and Silverbulletday – to be run on Saturday, January 17.

Luis Saez rolls into town, joining current Fair Grounds meet leader Paco Lopez, last season’s riding champion Jose Ortiz and Kentucky Derby & Oaks winning jockey Brian Hernandez, Jr., with several key mounts on the card.

Top trainers Brad Cox, Steve Asmussen, Brendan Walsh and Ken McPeek and Cherie DeVaux, all of whom have Kentucky Derby and Oaks aspirations, are all extremely well represented on a program that will reveal a lot about the futures of some of the top prospects in their respective barns moving forward. No fewer than two dozen of the two-year-olds competing on the card cost more than $250,000 at their most recent auction.

“Fair Grounds does a great job at putting races together to coincide with the big days,” DeVaux said. “It not only gives the connections of the horses to see what they have, but it’s great for the bettors and the fans alike.”

In addition to the very promising Mesquite in the Gun Runner, DeVaux has a dozen other horses entered on Saturday’s Fair Grounds program.

“The timing works great from a development standpoint because you can gain confidence in the horses that are going to represent the barn in the next Oaks and Derby prep card,” DeVaux continued.

Not including also eligibles, the average field size on the card is ten, and only one of the 12 morning line favorites has been installed at odds of 5-2 or less (#2 Just a Touch 7-5 in the Tenacious).

With sunny skies and a high temperature of 72 degrees, tomorrow’s weather forecast is pristine. First post will be at 12:45 pm CT, 1:45 pm ET. Intriguing horses and excellent wagering opportunities abound!

Below are the featured multi-race wagers on the Saturday card.

50-cent Pick Five (15% takeout) – begin in races 1, 5 & 8.
50-cent Pick Four – begin in races, 2, 6 & 9.
20-cent Crescent City Six (15% takeout) – race 7, modeled after the highly popular Derby City Six at Churchill Downs. Entering Friday’s card, the carryover exceeded $4,500.

“Road to the Derby Kickoff” Overview
Race 1 – Maiden special weight, 2yo fillies at 5 ½ furlongs TURF (Pick Five)

Field size: 12 (2 AE)
ML favorite: #11 Acquazurra (7-2) – J. Ortiz/DeVaux
Farrell, the dam of #7 Fregata, won the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2)

Race 2 – Maiden special weight, 2yo Louisiana-bred fillies at 6 furlongs (Pick Four)

Field size: 10
ML favorite: #1 Missin Missy (3-1) – Mr. Pedroza, Jr./Stall, Jr.

Race 3 – Maiden special weight, 2yo’s at 6 furlongs (Pick Three)

Field size: 10
ML favorite: #4 Coronado (3-1) – L. Saez/Cox
#10 Hot Days Ahead is a sibling to the G1 winning Tenma who finished 4th in the KY Oaks

Race 4 – Maiden special weight, 2yo’s fillies at 6 furlongs (Pick Three)

Field size: 10
ML favorite: #7 Quick Kiss (3-1) – Loveberry/Rivelli

Race 5 – Maiden special weight, f&m, 3yo&up, 1 1/16 miles TURF (Pick Five)

Field size: 12 (2 AE)
ML favorite: #10 Aurora Sky (7-2) – J. Ortiz/Sharp

Race 6 – Maiden special weight, 2yo’s at 6 furlongs (Pick Four)

Field size: 10
ML favorite: #9 Gethsemane (3-1) – L. Saez/Cox
#6 Trouble Calling is a sibling to G1 winner Troubleshooting

Race 7 – Maiden special weight, 2yo’s at 1 mile TURF (Crescent City Six)

Field size: 12 (2 AE)
ML favorite: #11 Prince of Light (7-2) – J. Ortiz/Walsh
#13 Shuggy is a granddaughter of the legendary Zenyatta

Race 8 – Tenacious, 3yo&up at 1 1/16 miles (Pick Five)

Field size: 8
ML favorite: #2 Just a Touch (7-5) – L. Saez/Cox

Race 9 – Buddy Diliberto Memorial, 3yo&up at 1 1/16 miles (Pick Four)

Field size: 9
ML favorite: #9 Gigante (3-1) – J. Ortiz/Asmussen

Race 10 – Untapable, 2yo fillies at 1 mile 70 yards (Pick Three)

Field size: 8
ML favorite: #3 Hit Parade (5-2) – L. Saez/Cox

Race 11 – Gun Runner, 2yo’s at 1 1/16 miles

Field size: 8 (seven of the eight are coming in off a win)
ML favorite: #3 Liberty National (7-2) – B. Hernandez, Jr./McPeek

Race 12 – Maiden special weight, 2yo’s at 1 1/16 miles

Field size: 12
ML favorite: #11 Liberty Valance (4-1) – Concepcion/Walsh
The winner of this race could very well wind up in the Lecomte (G3) on January 17

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About Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots
Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, one of the nation’s oldest racetracks, has been in operation since 1872. Located in New Orleans, La, Fair Grounds, which is owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ Global Select Market: CHDN), also operates a slot-machine gaming facility and 13 off-track betting parlors throughout Southeast Louisiana. The 154th Thoroughbred Racing Season–highlighted by the 113th running of the Louisiana Derby–will run from Nov. 20, 2025 through March 22, 2026. More information is available online at www.fgno.com.