New Orleans J

AMERICAN

GRADED STAKES PREVIEWS

HOLD ME BACK (Giant's Causeway) is the pick in the New Orleans H. (G2). Last

year's Travers S. (G1) runner-up will make his second start of the year and

received a useful tightener when returning in a one-turn mile allowance at

Gulfstream Park, rallying well in deep stretch for second. He earned a 100 BRIS

Late Pace rating and will certainly appreciate the added ground on Saturday.

Trained by Bill Mott, the Grade 2-winning colt will be re-united with Kent

Desormeaux and appears poised for a successful campaign this season. We hope to

get some value in this spot.

GIANT OAK (Giant's Causeway) was hurt by a slow pace when third in the

Mineshaft H. (G3) last time and is eligible to move forward in a big way for

Neil Pessin. A three-time Grade 2 runner-up, the deep closer doesn't get there

too often, rallying boldly to miss by narrow margins in both the Clark H. (G2)

and Indiana Derby (G2) last year, but he still merits serious consideration for

the win here. We anticipate a more realistic pace this time and will look for a

strong showing late beneath James Graham.

BATTLE PLAN (Empire Maker) will be tested for class in his stakes debut, but

the Todd Pletcher runner is the potential lone speed and could last a long way

on the front end under Javier Castellano. We love the 111 BRIS Speed rating he

earned when stretching out to nine furlongs for the first time in a Gulfstream

Park allowance/optional claiming heat last time, and the well-bred five-year-old

has registered triple-digit BRIS Late Pace numbers in his last three outings.

He's a threat to steal it.

AWESOME GEM (Awesome Again) captured the Hawthorne Gold Cup (G2) in his last

dirt start and should appreciate the class relief off his last two appearances

against Grade 1 rivals. The seven-year-old gelding is probably a little better

at 10 furlongs (winless in five starts at 1 1/8 miles), but we won't be

surprised to see him improve upon a solid tightener over the turf in his

seasonal debut and will use the Craig Dollase runner on the bottom of the

exotics.

GENERAL QUARTERS (Sky Mesa) is eligible to outperform our expectations, but

he drew the far outside post and has come up short in three straight

appearances at Fair Grounds this year. We were surprised to see him get outfinished

in the stretch of the Mineshaft last time and will take a stand against him

here, but the Grade 1 winner remains a serious threat for a top-three finish.

STAR GUITAR (Quiet American), who owns a six-race win skein, is a beast against

Louisiana-bred rivals, but he was no factor when seventh in this race last year

and is probably a little more effective at a mile or 8 1/2 furlongs. We'll have

to let him beat us.

STONEHOUSE (Chester House) registered a 16-1 upset in the five-horse

Mineshaft, but he benefited from the slow pace and will step up to face a deeper

cast here. He's winless in five attempts at nine furlongs and would be a major

surprise here again. TONE IT DOWN (Medaglia d'Oro), STONES RIVER (Monarchos) and

BIG POLK A DOT (Tapit) don't look fast enough to challenge.