When longtime Fair Grounds-based trainer Neil Howard saddled Courtlandt
Farms’ MACHEN (Distorted Humor) to win Sunday’s feature by 5 1/2 lengths, it
gave the quiet, modest conditioner six wins from 15 starters at the 2010-2011
season and allowed him to join the top 10 in the local trainer standings despite
the paucity of trips to the post.
It’s always been about quality over quantity with Howard, and joining Machen
on the list of early bird nominations to the $1 million Louisiana Derby (G2)
March 26 are four other sophomores with promise. Although none of Howard’s
quintet is advanced enough at this stage of their development to be probable
starters in the Lecomte S. (G3) as the first leg of Fair Grounds’ three-year-old
series scheduled January 22 and dubbed Road to the Derby Kickoff Day, some of
them might be possible for the Risen Star S. (G2) February 19 as the second leg
of Fair Grounds’ sophomore series.
“I don’t think we would rush (Machen) back into something like that,” Howard
said when asked about the Lecomte after Machen’s maiden victory Sunday. “I think
we’ll give him a chance to go from kindergarten to first grade, so to speak.”
Courtlandt Farms’ PRIME CUT (Bernstein), another of Howard’s Louisiana Derby
early bird nominees, broke his maiden impressively here December 12, but like
Machen, is unlikely to be rushed into the Lecomte.
“We’re very optimistic about (Prime Cut) at this point in time, but we’ll
probably look for a ‘non-winners-of-two’ for him rather than the Lecomte. Long
term, however, if he continues to move forward, the Risen Star could be in his
future.”
Gaillardia Racing’s WILKINSON (Lemon Drop Kid), another Howard-trained early
bird nominee to the Louisiana Derby, broke his maiden at Fair Grounds December
10, but finished third behind Zayat Stables’ Justin Phillip (First Samurai) on
New Year’s Day.
“That was a pretty nice horse that beat him the other day,” Howard said on
Monday, “but we were a decent third and I think Wilkinson will turn out to be a
pretty nice horse for us.
“As for (Courtlandt Farms’) PERREGEAUX (Distorted Humor), we’re probably
going to try to make him a grass horse for us,” Howard noted of the homebred who
won in first-level allowance company over the Stall-Wilson turf course here on
December 18.
Perregaux is the first foal from millionaire turf mare Sweet Talker (Stormin
Fever), winner of the 2005 Queen Elizabeth II Invitational Challenge Cup (G1).
“And (Courtlandt Farms’) SPORTS DAY (Tiznow), he worked yesterday (five
furlongs in 1:03 4/5 Sunday),” Howard said of his unraced sophomore. “He’s
approaching readiness to make his first start, so we’ll just take a wait-and-see
attitude with him and see what he shows us when he does run.”