Louisiana Derby

On the same day the GI Kentucky Derby lost top contender Maxfield (Street Sense) to a condylar fracture, another hopeful, Wells Bayou (Lookin At Lucky), was also declared from the Derby trail with bone bruising, according to trainer Brad Cox. The story was first reported by Daily Racing Form. "We sent him over to the clinic, I just wasn't happy with the way he was moving the past week," Cox told TDN. "We sent him for a bone scan and he has some bone bruising. Obviously it's a step back...

Ken and Sarah Ramsey's International Star (Fusaichi Pegasus--Parlez, by French Deputy) has relocated to Haras Porta Pia stud in Chile for stallion duties, in a deal brokered by Sullivan Bloodstock of Chile and Jim Perry Bloodstock of Lexington. A winner six times in 19 career starts for earnings of $1,247,529, International Star carried the Ramsey silks to victory in all three of Fair Grounds's GI Kentucky Derby preps--the GI Louisiana Derby, GII Risen Star S. and GIII Lecomte S.--in 2015. He added another stakes win the following year and placed...

No matter what he does, Lookin At Lucky (Smart Strike) seems condemned always to be the short guy in the back row of the team photo. In the private duel that defines his stud career, moreover, he has to endure Munnings (Speightstown) moving ever closer, year by year, to front and center. These two splendid sires, who started out together at Ashford in 2011, experienced rather typical fortunes last Saturday when dividing the big sophomore tests in New Orleans between them (along with those skilled gentlemen, Brad Cox and Florent...

In accordance with the "stay-home" order issued by New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, following public health concerns in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, Fair Grounds Race Course has suspended live racing operations effective immediately. The Fair Grounds Thoroughbred Racing Season was originally scheduled to run through Mar. 29. The announcement was made following the conclusion of Saturday's GII TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby card. "Fair Grounds Race Course remains focused on the safety of members of the backside community who are vital to ensuring the care of the horses," a statement read....

Ed DeRosa of Brisnet.com takes on TDN's Steve Sherack and Brian DiDonato as they handicap Triple Crown prep races plus the big three races themselves. The three will make $100 Win/Place bets in the preps and $200 Win/Place bets in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont. Highest bankroll at the end wins. DeRosa - Last Week's Results - Invader (+$170) just got run down in the Jeff Ruby, while No Parole faded to last. Bankroll: $1565. GII TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby - When it comes to Brisnet Speed Ratings, one horse...

With the abrupt cancellation of racing indefinitely at Aqueduct and the announcement earlier this week that Keeneland has canceled its Spring Meeting, Saturday's GII Louisiana Derby offers one of the final few springtime opportunities at amassing points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, now tentatively scheduled to be contested on the first Saturday of September. The centerpiece of the meet in New Orleans, the Louisiana Derby will be run over a mile and three-sixteenths for the first time and is one of four races scheduled to be run over...

NBC Sports will partner with TVG to present racing beginning this weekend as NBCSN simulcasts TVG's Trackside Live Saturday, Mar. 21 and Sunday, Mar. 22 from 4-8 p.m. ET. Anchored by TVG host and NBC Sports reporter Britney Eurton, TVG's Trackside Live offers live horse racing from various tracks across the country. The biggest race of the weekend--the GII Louisiana Derby from Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans--will air on NBCSN Saturday at 5 p.m. ET, and will be part of the Trackside Live coverage. NBCSN will also simulcast...

The 2020 Annual Membership Meeting of the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders' Association is set for Sunday Mar. 22 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in New Orleans. The annual meeting brings members together to celebrate the breeders and owners of outstanding accredited 2019 Louisiana-bred Thoroughbreds. The champions are chosen by a vote of the membership and are based on performance and breeding records for the 2019 year. "The process of producing and training a champion race horse takes considerable resources," said Roger Heitzmann, secretary treasurer for the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders...

The Week in Review, by T.D. Thornton When you think of the Fair Grounds and its series of GI Kentucky Derby preps, it's easy to conjure up images of stamina-centric closers who can stay all day. The track's imposing 1,346-foot home stretch--for decades billed as the longest in North America, until the reconfigured Los Alamitos surpassed it by 34 feet in 2014--is the primary reason. The other, which is new this year, is the elongated change in distance for the three races in the Fair Grounds' January-March prep series. Most...

Twelve months ago in the GII Risen Star S., the Bill Mott barn was represented by Country House (Lookin At Lucky), who was having his fourth career run and was exiting a maiden-breaking victory going two turns for the first time. Seeking to improve on that now-retired runner's second-place effort a year ago, Modernist (Uncle Mo) argued the pace from the inside and fought his way to a 12-1 upset over Major Fed (Ghostzapper). Ny Traffic (Cross Traffic), who battled up front with Modernist clung on for third, while even-money...

Sent off a generous 7-1, Mr. Monomoy (Palace Malice) secured an easy lead, set incredibly steady fractions up front and pulled away late to easily defeat GIII Lecomte S. hero Enforceable (Tapit) in the first of two divisions of the GII Risen Star S. Saturday afternoon at the Fair Grounds. Silver State (Hard Spun), who completed the exacta behind Enforceable last time, rounded out the trifecta. Drawn gate nine and looking to improve on his useful third-place effort in the Lecomte, Mr. Monomoy hit the ground running and dropped down...

7th-Fair Grounds, $47,000, Alw (NW2X)/Opt. Clm ($40,000), 2-9, 4yo/up, 1 1/16m, 1:43.75, ft. BY MY STANDARDS (c, 4, Goldencents--A Jealous Woman {MSW & GSP, $469,956}, by Muqtarib), a maiden winner over this track and trip last February, earned a ticket to the GI Kentucky Derby with a next-out victory in the Mar. 23 GII Louisiana Derby, but had been missing since a troubled 12th-place effort in the big dance last May. Sent off the 1-2 favorite, the bay colt shadowed pacesetting Two Emmys (English Channel) through fractions of :24.64, :49.29,...