AP News, March 9th, 2007
The richest day of racing in Louisiana can't arrive soon enough at the Fair Grounds.
"I've been looking forward to this for a year and a half," track president Randall Soth said the day before Saturday's $600,000 Louisiana Derby _ a major Kentucky Derby prep and one of five stakes worth $2.1 million on the 11-race program.
Last year's Louisiana Derby was canceled because of Hurricane Katrina, which decimated the track as well as New Orleans on Aug. 29, 2005. The grandstand roof was ripped free by the storm's winds, and it took more than a year of renovations costing about $16 million before the venerable track reopened on Thanksgiving.
At 5:43 p.m. Saturday, the track that first ran races in 1872 will take center stage on the road to the May 5 Kentucky Derby.
The 1 1-16th-mile Louisiana Derby drew a field of eight 3-year-olds, with Circular Quay the early 9-5 favorite and Liquidity the 7-2 second choice.
Circular Quay, one of a half-dozen-plus Derby prospects trained by Todd Pletcher, is coming off a troubled trip in the Risen Star on Feb. 10. The colt finished fifth after nearly falling at the top of the stretch when the horse in front of him clipped heels with another horse and lost his jockey.
"We're just looking for a good performance, a positive experience for him," Pletcher said of Circular Quay, winner of the Hopeful and runner-up in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. "We're trying to build him up for the Derby."
Pletcher also sends out Soaring By, the likely pacesetter who finished second in a seven-furlong allowance race at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 3.
Liquidity, second in the Sham Stakes on Feb. 3, is one of trainer Doug O'Neill's four Derby contenders. Another, Notional, won the Risen Star and will run next in the Florida Derby on March 31. Paul Reddam owns both, and also owns O'Neill's No. 1 Derby horse _ Great Hunter.
"It's been awesome so far," O'Neill said in his quest for his first Derby starter. He says Great Hunter has been the most consistent of the bunch, but Liquidity may prove to be the best if he can learn to stay focused for an entire race.
"Liquidity has got as good a stride as any of them, his pedigree is very strong but he is a horse that mentally doesn't apply himself," O'Neill said, adding that the colt would wear blinkers Saturday to try to minimize distractions. "He needs to be in the race from the start. He can be an actual beast if the light bulb goes off."
Imawildandcrazyguy and Zanjero, second- and third-place finishers in the Risen Star, also are entered, along with Delta Jackpot winner Birdbirdistheword, local favorite Ketchikan and 15-1 long shot Slew's Tizzy.
O'Neill has a 2-1 edge over Pletcher in head-to-head Derby preps: Great Hunter topped Pletcher's Sam P. in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes; it was Notional over Circular Quay in the Risen Star, and Pletcher's Ravel beat Liquidity in the Sham.
In the other graded stakes at the Fair Grounds, Appealing Zophie and Mistical Plan top a field of eight in the $400,000 Fair Grounds Oaks; Pletcher's Master Command is the 7-5 choice in the $500,000 New Orleans Handicap, and King's Drama is the slight favorite over Einstein in the $500,000 Mervin H. Muniz Memorial Handicap.
Elsewhere, two other Derby preps are on tap Saturday _ Whirlaway winner Summer Doldrums is the favorite in the Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct and California Derby winner Bwana Bull heads the field for the El Camino Derby at Bay Meadows.
