Five three-year-old colts and geldings were entered for the first two-turn
prep of the Kentucky Derby (G1) season at Fair Grounds, Saturday’s $100,000
Lecomte S.
(G3). Contested over one mile and 40 yards, the Lecomte is one of six stakes
on a program dubbed “Road to the Derby Kickoff Day!”
The only shipper among the quintet is New York-based PANTS ON FIRE (Jump
Start), a front-runner who’ll break outside his four rivals under Joe Bravo, who
last rode the colt to his seven-length maiden win at Delaware Park in October.
In the interim, the Kelly Breen trainee has competed twice over the inner dirt
at Aqueduct, fading late to finish second against allowance foes and then to
third in the Count Fleet S. 12 days later on January 1.
If not sent to the lead right away, Pants on Fire at least figures to be
well-positioned throughout. He completed his preparation for the Lecomte on
Monday with a four-furlong move over the fast Belmont training track, completing
the distance in :49.
JUSTIN PHILLIP (First Samurai) broke his maiden impressively at Belmont in
September, but required three attempts before clinching his first allowance win.
That came on a rainy New Year’s Day at Fair Grounds going a mile and 70 yards,
and the Steve Asmussen trainee responded to the conditions with a wire-to wire
romp by 3 1/4 lengths. Justin Phillip will add blinkers for the Lecomte after
showing signs of being distracted during the course of his latest win.
Garrett Gomez flies in from California to pilot WILKINSON (Lemon Drop Kid),
who finished third to Justin Phillip last time after a terribly wide trip. The
Neil Howard trainee preceded that outing with a maiden score over this course
and distance after running second in his first two starts.
ACTION READY (More Than Ready), the only other two-time winner in the field,
won a maiden on dirt at Remington and most recently led gate-to-wire to beat
allowance foes over the yielding Fair Grounds turf, an impressive performance
given the local sod’s reputation as being highly unkind to speed. The Lecomte
field is rounded out by MOBEETIE (Sky Mesa), who won at first asking against
$50,000 maiden claimers on the first day of the year.
Three-year-old fillies will also be in action over one mile and 40 yards in
the $100,000
Silverbulletday S., a race previously known as the Tiffany Lass. BOUQUET
BOOTH (Flower Alley), who pulled the 9-1 upset of the Delta Downs Princess S.
(G3) in late November, is the probable favorite but will have to fend off
several rivals with noticeable upside.
AIDE (Arch) broke her maiden by nearly 20 lengths at Churchill Downs and was
one of the leading contenders for that track’s Golden Rod S. (G2). However, she
was left in the wake of Kathmanblu (Bluegrass Cat), who strolled home the
easiest of winners while Aide retreated to fourth by nearly 13 lengths. Making
her open company debut in the Silverbulletday is SEANS SILVERDANCER (Najran),
who dusted her Illinois-bred peers by 9 1/2 lengths in the Pat Whitworth
Debutante at Hawthorne last month.
The remainder of the field includes last-out allowance winners AMBIENT
(Rockport Harbor) and DAISY DEVINE (Kafwain), as well as recent graduates WAHOO
BABE (Jump Start) and LITTLE MISS HOLLY (Maria’s Mon).
Separated by three parts of a length in the December 4 Buddy Diliberto
Memorial H., STRIKE AGAIN (Dixie Union) and GRAN ESTRENO (Arg) (Lucky Roberto)
will renew rivalry in the $100,000
Colonel E.R.
Bradley H. (G3) at about 1 1/16 miles on the turf. While Strike Again has
not raced since, Gran Estreno prepped for this with an allowance/optional
claiming score over SOUTHERN ANTHEM (Royal Anthem) on December 22.
DUBIOUS MISS (E Dubai), second in last year’s Fair Grounds H. (G3) when last
seen on turf, enters off a third in the Tenacious H. over the local dirt. He’s
joined in the line-up by AMAZING RESULTS (Grand Slam), twice unplaced since
upsetting the Robert F. Carey Memorial H. (G3) at Hawthorne in November;
MIDNIGHT MISCHIEF (Medaglia d’Oro), runner-up in the River City H. (G3) two
back; the lightly-raced Sam-Son homebred RED STRIKE (Smart Strike); and JOINEM (Johar),
who makes his stakes debut having run first or second in all five career outings
to date.
APART (Flatter) will attempt to rebound from a disappointing try in the
November 26 Clark H. (G1) in the $60,000
Louisiana
H. at 1 1/16 miles. The Super Derby (G2) and Ack Ack H. (G3) hero offered no
bid in that nine-furlong test at Churchill, but was ultimately elevated to
seventh after a roughly-run stretch battle.
COUNTRY FLAVOR (Empire Maker) and Z HUMOR (Distorted Humor) finished a neck
apart when occupying the top two slots in the December 18 Tenacious, and will
also be joined by that race’s fourth-placer RECAPTURETHEGLORY (Cherokee Run).
Spend a Buck H. (G3) winner MAD FLATTER (Flatter) and stakes winner FLAT OUT
(Flatter), who recently made a winning return from a 20-month layoff, are other
notables in the Louisiana field.
Ten fillies and mares will dash about 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf in the
$60,000 Dr.
A.B. Leggio Memorial S. MIMI’S BLING (Bernstein) will make her first start
since upsetting the October 15 Franklin County S. at Keeneland at 33-1, while
multiple stakes winner SHEER BEAUTY (Mizzen Mast), who finished in a dead heat
for third in the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) last March, returns from a lengthy
absence.
Other serious players in a wide-open affair are GREELEY’S ROCKET (Mr.
Greeley) and the course specialists RED HOT BUDDHA (Buddha) and MULLINS BEACH (Speightstown).
Multiple Grade 3 veteran LE GRAND CRU (Dynaformer) and Thanksgiving H. victor
MAMBO GALLIANO (Black Mambo) are the top draws in the $60,000
F.W. Gaudin
Memorial S. over six furlongs on the main track.