Giant Oak headlines undercard on La. Derby Day

Giant Oak will go for his third graded win in the New Orleans ‘Cap (Joe Ganley/EquiSport Photos)

GIANT OAK (Giant’s Causeway) will seek to maintain his status as arguably
America’s best older horse in training and attempt to snap a four-race losing
skid at Fair Grounds as the 122-pound highweight in Saturday’s $400,000
New
Orleans H. (G2) over 1 1/8 miles.

The decision to contest the New Orleans, a race Giant Oak finished fifth in
last year, only became an option in recent days as trainer Chris Block thought
more about which race would serve as a proper lead-in to the Alysheba S. (G3)
and Stephen Foster H. (G1) at Churchill Downs, the major springtime goals for
the Illinois-bred. After a satisfactory workout Sunday at Gulfstream Park, Giant
Oak will now go to the New Orleans rather than wait for the April 9 Oaklawn H.
(G2) as originally planned.

After developing a reputation as a fringe player in major graded stakes for
the better part of two years, Giant Oak has become a more frequent visitor to
the winner’s circle in recent months. While he did receive help from the
Churchill Downs stewards on November 27 when elevated to first in the Clark H.
(G1), he needed no such aid when rallying from 11 lengths down to win the
February 5 Donn H. (G1) at Gulfstream going away by two lengths. It was the
first time Giant Oak had crossed the finish line first since the 2009 Arlington
Classic.

Demarcation captured the local prep for the New Orleans ‘Cap (Lou Hodges Jr./Hodges Photography)

Like Giant Oak, Demarcation is typically a deep closer, and he was greatly
helped by the fast pace Mission Impazible helped set in the Mineshaft. However,
he had to dig deep as Mission Impazible nearly re-rallied only to miss by a
head. Apart could not sustain his bid from mid-pack and has yet to return to the
form that saw him win both the Super Derby (G2) and Ack Ack H. (G3) last fall.

A surprising entrant in the New Orleans is EL CABALLO (El Prado [Ire]).
Though no stranger to winning on dirt, he’s made more of a name for himself on
turf the last two seasons. Winner last year of the Colonel E.R. Bradley H. (G3),
the often-sidelined seven-year-old has been out of action since a sixth-place
effort in Mervin H. Muniz Jr. Memorial H. (G2) a year ago.

Grade 3 winner COUNTRY FLAVOR (Empire Maker) won the Tenacious H. two starts
back and was most recently third in the Louisiana H., while potential
front-runner BIRDRUN (Birdstone) endured a troubled trip in the Sunshine
Millions Classic last time after a convincing score in the Carl G. Rose Classic
at Calder in November.

Expansion will attempt to prove his Fair Grounds ‘Cap score was no fluke in the Mervin Muniz (Lou Hodges Jr./Hodges Photography)

EXPANSION (Maria’s Mon) pulled off the 32-1 upset of the Fair Grounds ‘Cap in
a three-way photo that also included the 3-1 choice SLEEPLESS KNIGHT (War
Chant). Back in fourth was Grade 2-winning pacesetter WORKIN FOR HOPS (City
Zip), who was returning from a layoff approaching five months, while
fifth-placer JOINEM (Johar) endured a wide trip around both turns while racing
well behind a dreadfully slow pace.

SMART BID (Smart Strike), a nose second in the Gulfstream Park Turf S. (G1)
last time, still seeks his first career graded triumph for Graham Motion, but
the form of the Gulfstream Park Turf took a hit last weekend when Teaks North
(Northern Afleet) could only be fifth in the Tampa Bay S. (G3). BATTLE OF
HASTINGS (GB) (Royal Applause [GB]), fourth in the Gulfstream Park Turf, has
only a single Grade 3 score dating back to the summer of 2009. Of more interest
is Brazilian Group 1 winner MORYBA (Brz) (Hard Buck [Brz]), who took his U.S.
debut by two lengths in a Gulfstream allowance/optional claimer on January 23
for trainer Bill Mott.

Cash Refund seeks his second straight Duncan F. Kenner victory on Saturday (Lou Hodges Jr./Hodges Photography)

CASH REFUND (Petionville) will defend his title in the $150,000
Duncan F.
Kenner S. over six furlongs. The Steve Margolis charge was winless following
last year’s Kenner until a gutsy neck score over BACKTALK (Smarty Jones) in a
January 8 course-and-distance allowance/optional claimer.

Making his seasonal debut is RILEY TUCKER (Harlan’s Holiday), who took the
Aristides S. (G3) last season and later finished second in the Vosburgh S. (G1).
However, he retreated to ninth after making a middle move in the Breeders’ Cup
Sprint (G1) in his 2010 finale.

Others of note in the Kenner are F.W. Gaudin Memorial S. winner EARLY RETURN
(Carson City), Thanksgiving H. victor and Gaudin runner-up MAMBO GALLIANO (Black
Mambo), and Bill Mott’s Grade 2-placed performer SNAPSHOT (Awesome Again).