With FRIESAN FIRE (A.P. Indy) leading the parade, trainer Larry Jones
continues to have a strong hand showing on the table for Louisiana Derby Day,
set for March 14 at Fair Grounds.
“Friesan Fire will probably work again Monday morning,” said Jones as he sat
at his tack room desk during Friday’s mid-morning break. “He continues to be
right on schedule for the ($600,000) Louisiana Derby (G2).”
As the two-length winner of the Risen Star S. (G3) and the 1 1/2-length hero
of the Lecomte S. (G3), the bay colt is going for a sweep of the Louisiana Derby
series — a feat not accomplished since 1993 — and will command considerable
respect on the second Saturday in March if things continue to go according to
schedule.
GIANT OAK (Giant’s Causeway), who finished fifth following a troubled trip as
the post time favorite in the Risen Star, has an updated work schedule in
advance of the Louisiana Derby, according to trainer Chris Block.
“This horse is pretty fit,” Block said Friday morning. “He jogged this
morning and everything went good today, so we’ll postpone his next serious
breeze until next weekend.”
Nominations close Saturday for the Louisiana Derby as well as the rest of the
stakes on Louisiana Derby Day — the $400,000 Fair Grounds Oaks (G2), $500,000
New Orleans H. (G2), $500,000 Mervin H. Muniz Jr. Memorial H. (G2), $125,000
Duncan Kenner S. and $75,000 Bienville S.
One who probably won’t show up for the day is Cindy Jones’ JUST JENDA
(Menifee), who appeared to be a solid candidate for the Fair Grounds Oaks
following her win in the January 10 Tiffany Lass S. but has now been taken off
the local Oaks trail after a third-place finish in the Silverbulletday S. (G3).
“I don’t think we’ll be running her in the Oaks,” Jones said. “She’s probably
headed to Oaklawn for her next start. She’ll probably work Monday and then we’ll
see what happens then.”
Although Just Jenda failed to live up to expectations on Louisiana Derby
Preview Day, stablemate HONEST MAN (Unbridled’s Song) certainly did when posting
a 4 1/4-length win in the Mineshaft H. (G3).
“Honest Man is right on schedule for the New Orleans H.,” Jones said. “He’s
doing fine right now, and he doesn’t really need a lot of work.”
Jones has yet another charge preparing for Louisiana Derby Day in the
four-year-old KODIAK KOWBOY (Posse), who is being pointed for the Duncan F.
Kenner S. for sprinters. The bay colt, fifth in the Cigar Mile (G1) in his last
start on November 29, won the Sport Page H. (G3) at Belmont on October 25 and
was beaten less than a length when third in the Vosburgh S. (G1) on September
27.
“He’ll have a major work this weekend,” Jones said of Kodiak Kowboy,
“Probably, that will come on Monday along with the others, but he still owes me
a lot of works.”