Star Power Builds as Stakes Entries Emerge for Louisiana Derby Preview Day

By Kevin Kilroy —-

Star Power Builds as Stakes Entries Emerge for Louisiana Derby Preview Day

NEW ORLEANS (Feb. 4, 2026) — Fields are taking shape for Louisiana Derby Preview Day on Saturday, Feb. 14 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, featuring six stakes races worth $1.425 million.

The card is led by the Grade 2 $500,000 Fasig-Tipton Risen Star Stakes and the Grade 2 $300,000 Fasig-Tipton Rachel Alexandra Stakes, key stops on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks. Both races award 50-25-15-10-5 qualifying points to the top five finishers.

The following are known probable and possible entrants, subject to change.

Perfect in two starts, Golden Tempo is targeting the 1 1/8-mile Risen Star after rallying from last to first to win the Grade 3 Lecomte Stakes, vaulting the Cherie DeVaux-trained colt atop the active Derby leaderboard with 20 points.

Likely challengers include Paladin, the unbeaten Chad Brown trainee who earned 10 Derby points by winning December’s Grade 2 Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct. After a troubled fourth in the Remsen, trainer Todd Pletcher aimed Courting for the Risen Star, pleased with how the Curlin colt has trained since.

Other probables include Gun Runner winner Chip Honcho, fourth in the Lecomte for Steve Asmussen, and Carson Street, a game third for Brendan Walsh.

Possible Risen Star entrants include Quality Mischief (Brad Cox), Liberty National (Kenny McPeek), and Univeres (McPeek).

One of 11 fillies nominated to the Triple Crown, Godolphin’s Bella Ballerina heads the 1 1/16-mile Rachel Alexandra after winning November’s Grade 2 Golden Rod Stakes at Churchill Downs for trainer Brendan Walsh. She is a half sister to 2023 Rachel Alexandra winner Pretty Mischievous, winner of Kentucky Oaks 149.

Probable challengers include Luv Your Neighbor, runner-up in both local preps for Mike Stidham; Pashmina for Rob Atras; Dancin in Old Town for Keith Desormeaux, and Majestical, trained by Peter Eurton.

Possible Rachel Alexandra entries include Actis (Tom Amoss); Agrippina (Lindsay Schultz), Just Singing (Kent Sweezey), Nycon (Whit Beckman), Powered by Family (DeVaux) and White Smoke (DeVaux).

Brad Cox-trained Hit Show, with $8,902,183 in career earnings, is the probable favorite in the Grade 3 $250,000 Mineshaft Stakes Presented by Hagyard at 1 1/16 miles. Other probables include Grade 3 Louisiana Stakes winner Accelerize, trained by Pletcher, and Tenacious Stakes winner Not This Boy, trained by Doug Cowans.

Possible Mineshaft runners include Stowaway (Whit Beckman), Moonlight (Chris Block), Time to Win (Chad Brown), Willy D’s (Mike Maker) and Next Level (Desormeaux).

Probables for the Grade 3 $175,000 Fair Grounds Stakes Presented by Horse Racing Nation at 1 1/8 miles on turf include Kupuna, winner of the Colonel E.R. Bradley Stakes, and Montador, winner of the Woodchopper Stakes.

The $100,000 Albert M. Stall Memorial for older fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles is expected to be led by Medoro, trained by Peter Eurton and winner of the Marie G. Krantz Memorial.

A rematch of the Duncan F. Kenner Stakes trifecta is possible in the 5 1/2-furlong, $100,000 Colonel Power Stakes, featuring Usually Wrong (Robertino Diodoro), Mondogetsbuckets (Block) and Bear River (Desormeaux).

Entries for Louisiana Derby Preview Day will be drawn Saturday, Feb. 7.

-30-

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.