Lecomte Stakes

Fair Grounds has bumped purses for the GII Risen Star Stakes and the GIII Lecomte Stakes--both "Road to the Kentucky Derby" points races--in advance of the track's 153rd season. The Risen Star will be increased from $400,000 to $500,000 and the Lecomte upped from $200,000 to $250,000. With eight existing stakes getting a $25,000 boost, a total of $325,000 in increases is scheduled for the track's 63-race stakes program, totaling $8.875 million in purses during the 76-day Thoroughbred meet. "The Louisiana Road to the Derby and Oaks has established itself...

When Perry Ouzts wired the field aboard an 8-1 maiden filly named Caberneigh (Munnings) at Turfway Park last Wednesday night, the 69-year-old jockey established a milestone that garnered little notice in the racing world. The victory extended Ouzts's remarkable streak of having ridden at least one winner in a calendar year to 52 consecutive seasons. Think about the scope of that accomplishment for a moment. On Apr. 2, 1973, Ouzts, then 18, rode his first lifetime winner on just his second day as a licensed apprentice, guiding home an Ohio-bred...

A day after Track Phantom (Quality Road)'s win in the GIII Lecomte S. at Fair Grounds Saturday, trainer Steve Asmussen was already looking forward to starting the 3-year-old colt in the Feb. 17 GII Risen Star S. The sophomore, who ended 2023 with a win in the Gun Runner S., will be following the same New Orleans path to the GI Kentucky Derby that Asmussen used for Epicenter (Not This Time) two years ago. Epicenter won the Gun Runner in 2021 and finished second in the Lecomte to begin his...

The catalogue for the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training is now online at www.obssales.com. A total of 635 juveniles have been cataloged for the two-day sale, set for Mar. 15 and 16, with both sessions beginning at 10:30 a.m. The auction's under tack show will be held Mar. 10-12 and all three sessions are scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. Graduates from last year's March sale include Call Me Midnight (Midnight Lute), winner of the Jan. 22 GIII Lecomte S., and last year's GI Starlet...

The top four finishers from the GIII Lecomte S. Jan. 16 take their next steps down the GI Kentucky Derby trail Saturday in the GII Risen Star S. at Fair Grounds. A $525,000 KEESEP buy, Lecomte winner Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow) was second in the GIII Iroquois S. at Churchill in September and was third in Belmont's GI Champagne S. in October. The bay took the field wire-to-wire in the Lecomte, besting Proxy (Tapit) by a length. "I think the distance is right in his wheelhouse and we're excited about running...

Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow) came out of his wire-to-wire victory in Saturday's GIII Lecomte S. in fine shape, Scott Blasi, assistant to trainer Steve Asmussen, said Sunday. The Winchell Thoroughbreds runner is expected to start next in the Feb. 13 GII Risen Star S. Mandaloun (Into Mischief), the beaten favorite when third in the Lecomte, may get a change of equipment for his  next start, according to trainer Brad Cox. "We still think he is a very good horse," Cox said of the Juddmonte Farm homebred. "He raced wide around both...

After Saturday's GIII Lecomte S., one thing's for certain: the offspring of broodmare Catch the Moon have a strong affinity for that main track in New Orleans. Three of the four graded stakes winners the Malibu Moon mare has produced are now a collective 5-for-6 over the Fair Grounds dirt after the one-length wire job by Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow) in the first leg of the track's Road to the GI Kentucky Derby series. Trainer Steve Asmussen's job will now involve trying to build upon that home-track advantage as Midnight Bourbon...

Jack Wolf, founder of Starlight Racing, joins this week's TDN Writers' Room to discuss their big star Charlatan as well as Starlight's past successes in Authentic, Ashado and more.

America's Day at the Races returns Saturday in what will be the first of 22 days of the telecast to air throughout January, February and March on FOX Sports. It will air on FS1 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. and will feature live racing from Fair Grounds, including the GIII Lecomte S. and Silverbulletday S. Presented in 2021 by America's Best Racing and Claiborne Farm, the telecasts will feature live racing from the Aqueduct winter meet as well as partner tracks, including Fair Grounds Race Course, Oaklawn Park, Tampa...

Enforceable (Tapit) earned 10 points towards a start in the GI Kentucky Derby with a late-rallying victory in the GIII Lecomte S. at Fair Grounds Saturday. It was the second straight win in this event for trainer Mark Casse, who captured last year's renewal with eventual GI Preakness S. victor War of Will (War Front). Bet down to 6-1 from a 15-1 morning-line quote, Enforceable was away well from post 10, but was in no hurry, settling near the back of the pack as longshots Bango (Congrats) and ShaShashakemeup (Shackleford)...