THE DERBY DISPATCH Contacts: John Asher (502) 636-4586 (o), (502) 494-3626 (m) or [email protected] @JohnAsher Darren Rogers (502) 636-4461(o), (502) 345-1030 (m) or [email protected] @DerbyMedia Kevin Kerstein (502) 635-4712 (o), (610) 420-6971 (m) or [email protected] @HorseRacingKK _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ LOUISIANA DERBY, SUNLAND DERBY MY BOY JACK, RISEN STAR TOP THREE TOP ROAD TO KENTUCKY DERBY SLATE FACE OFF IN LOUISIANA DERBY LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Thursday, March 22, 2018) – An exciting edition of the $1 million Louisiana Derby (GII) is Saturday’s 105 th running of the $1 million Louisiana Derby set for Saturday at Fair Grounds with a field of 10, including Presented by TwinSpires.com (Grade II) and Sunday’s 15 th Southwest Stakes (GIII) romper My Boy Jack and the top running of the $800,000 Sunland Derby (GIII) are the featured three finishers from the local Risen Star Stakes (GII) all lining stops on this week’s Road to the Kentucky Derby up. Championship Series as 3-year-old Thoroughbreds continue The 1 1/8-mile affair kicks off the second part of the their quest for points to secure a berth in the 144th running of Championship portion of the Road to the Kentucky Derby by the $2 million Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford offering 100-40-20-10 points toward a starting berth in the Reserve (GI) on Saturday, May 5 at Churchill Downs. May 5 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (GI). The 1 1/8-mile Louisiana Derby at New Orleans’ Fair Trainer Keith Desormeaux ships My Boy Jack outside of Grounds – headlined by Southwest (GIII) winner My Boy California for the second straight time in this spot. The Jack and the Risen Star (GII) top three Bravazo , Snapper Creative Cause colt spent his first seven races competing over Sinclair and Noble Indy – is the first of seven prestigious tracks in the Golden State, beginning with his debut at Santa races over the next four weeks that will award 170 points to Anita Park last June. My Boy Jack was no factor that day on the Top 4 finishers – 100 to first, 40 to second, 20 to third and the main track, finishing sixth, but appeared to take to the 10 to fourth. grass when switched next out for a turf maiden at that same Meanwhile, the 1 1/8-mile Sunland Derby in New Mexico is venue. worth 85 total points or 50-20-10-5 to the first four placings. The Kentucky-bred racked up a trio of seconds, including In the last three years of the point system that has the Del Mar Juvenile Turf in early September, before earning determined the preference list for the 1 ¼-mile Kentucky his initial victory in the grassy Zuma Beach Stakes at Santa Derby, the final horse to make the Derby field had garnered Anita Park on Oct. 9. My Boy Jack showed back up at Del Mar between 22 and 32 points. for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (GI) and was beaten only A win or a runner-up effort in these select races should have three lengths when seventh on that occasion. the upper hand, while horses that earned points during the Prep Season could be in the mix with Top 4 placings. ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY TOP 25 Saturday’s Louisiana Derby anchors an action-packed 14- # Horse Trainer Points race program at Fair Grounds that features eight stakes races 1. Bolt d’Oro Mick Ruis 64 and purses cumulatively worth $2.36 million. The first race is 2. Enticed Kiaran McLaughlin 63 1:30 p.m. (all times Eastern) and the Louisiana Derby goes as 3. Bravazo D. Wayne Lukas 54 4. Promises Fulfilled Dale Romans 52 Race 11 at 6:21 p.m. 5. Magnum Moon Todd Pletcher 50 The Fair Grounds stakes bonanza also includes the $400,000 6. Quip Rudolphe Brisset 50 Fair Grounds Oaks (GII) for 3-year-old fillies. The 1 1/16- 7. McKinzie Bob Baffert 40 mile race will award 100-40-20-10 points to the Top 4 finishers 8. Good Magic Chad Brown 34 9. Solomini Bob Baffert 34 on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks. 10. $-Flameaway Mark Casse 30 The Fair Grounds Oaks and Louisiana Derby are the final 11. Firenze Fire Jason Servis 29 two legs a special $200,000-guaranteed All Stakes Pick 4 pool 12. Free Drop Billy Dale Romans 24 that will cover Races 8-11. The sequence begins with the 13. Snapper Sinclair Steve Asmussen 22 14. Combatant Steve Asmussen 22 $400,000 New Orleans Handicap (GII) at 4:39 p.m., which is 15. $-Blended Citizen Doug O’Neill 22 immediately followed by the $300,000 Muniz Memorial 16. Strike Power Mark Hennig 20 Handicap (GII) at 5:06 p.m. 17. Old Time Revival Kenneth Decker 20 Sunday’s Sunland Derby goes as Race 11 at 7:15 p.m. on a 18. Instilled Regard Jerry Hollendorfer 19 19. Catholic Boy Jonathan Thomas 14 12-race Sunland Park card that also includes the $200,000 20. My Boy Jack Keith Desormeaux 12 Sunland Park Oaks for 3-year-old fillies. The 1 1/16-mile 21. Greyvitos Adam Kitchingman 10 Sunland Park Oaks, which goes as Race 6 at 4:44 p.m., will 22. Audible Todd Pletcher 10 award 50-20-10-5 points to the Top 4 finishers on the Road to 23. Kanthaka Jerry Hollendorfer 10 24. Lombo Mike Pender 10 the Kentucky Oaks. – Darren Rogers 25. Noble Indy Todd Pletcher 10 $ = Late Triple Crown Nominee The dark bay colt ran third in the Jan. Sham Stakes (GIII) Retirement Fund comes from the Asmussen shedrow, while returning to the main track for his sophomore bow at having suffered his first defeat from three career starts when Santa Anita, then shipped outside of California for the first seventh in the Southwest last out. Prior to that, the time to take the Southwest on Feb. 19 at Oaklawn Park. Eskendereya colt wired both his races going a mile and 70 Regular rider Kent Desormeaux makes the trip to pilot My yards at Fair Grounds under returning Jockey Shaun Boy Jack, who has been installed as the 5-2 morning-line Bridgmohan . He’s listed at 12-1 on the morning line. favorite for the Louisiana Derby. Pletcher sends out Hyndford , who breaks Just outside of “As soon as he crossed the wire in Arkansas, we started Retirement Fund at 8-1 early odds. The Street Cry chestnut thinking about our next move,” Keith Desormeaux said. thus far has sandwiched a maiden claiming victory at “When you win over a track, it makes sense to run right back Gulfstream between a fourth in a turf maiden at that venue there, but (part-owner) Sol Kumin brought up a good point. and a runner-up effort in an allowance/optional claimer at The (March 17) Rebel (at Oaklawn) is not an equal weights Tampa Bay Downs. Joe Bravo will be aboard for the first time race, so off a graded stakes win, we would be at an immediate in this spot. disadvantage. The Louisiana Derby is equal weights and there Dark Templar drew the far outside post and makes his are twice as many points offered. It gives us an extra week, one stakes debut here for trainer Brendan Walsh at 12-1 on the million is a monster pot, and if we are forced to scratch or morning-line. The Tapit colt broke his maiden sprinting six have an unlucky trip, there is time to get into another prep race furlongs first out at Churchill Downs in November, then filled and still make the Kentucky Derby. the third and second spots against allowance/optional claiming “I live in California, but I’m 100 percent Louisiana-bred. I rivals at Fair Grounds in his next pair. The latter of those two look for any good reason to come home, but that has no came behind Retirement Fund on Jan. 20, but Dark Templar bearing on our racing decisions. Last year was my first time returned to the winner’s circle most recently on Feb. 19 with a running in the Louisiana Derby, and we ran fifth with a (37-1) 1 ¼-length wire Job against similar going a mile and 70 yards. longshot Sorry Erik . We’ve had a nice run of success the last Florent Geroux has the call. couple of years. It has been very rewarding for me and my Lone Sailor finished third to Bravazo’s second in the family, anything that happens from this point forward is Breeders’ Futurity (GI) last fall at Keeneland, then held that welcomed with appreciation and gratitude. A lot of hard work rival to third by 3 ¼ lengths when second by a head in the has gotten me here, and I Just want to enJoy it.” Street Sense Stakes at Churchill Downs next out. The Tom The last local prep for the Louisiana Derby was the Risen Amoss trainee closed out 2017 with a fifth-placing in the Star on Feb. 17, which saw Bravazo and Snapper Sinclair Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) and didn’t show much in his battle throughout before the former prevailed by a nose over seasonal bow while finishing ninth in the Lecomte. The his rival. The D. Wayne Lukas trainee was sent off at 21-1 in MaJestic Warrior colt rallied for second behind Dark Templar the nine-horse field but easily outran those odds to earn his most recently and gets James Graham holding the reins once first stakes victory.