Study Guide: 2024 Louisiana Derby
Mar 17, 2024
Track Phantom wins the Gun Runner S. at Fair Grounds (Photo by Hodges Photography)
A total of 200 Road to the Kentucky Derby qualification points (split 100-50-25-15-10 among the top five finishers) are on the table in Saturday’s $1 million TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) at Fair Grounds.
The 1 3/16-mile race is an important steppingstone to the Kentucky Derby (G1). In the past five years, it’s produced a pair of Kentucky Derby winners: Country House (2019) and Mandaloun (2021).
A talented 12-horse field has turned out for the 2024 Louisiana Derby. Let’s check out the entries:
Triple Espresso
Triple Espresso (Photo by Coglianese Photography)
Start(s): 5
Wins: 1
Place: 1
Show: 1
Owner: Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable
Breeder: Ashview Farm and Colts Neck Stables
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Luis Saez
Top Speed Rating: (84) when finishing fourth in the Colonel Liam S. at Gulfstream Park.
Total Earnings: $94,800
Sire: Omaha Beach
Dam: Natural Rush
Color: Bay
Triple Espresso has competed exclusively on turf while finishing second, fifth, and fourth in a trio of stakes. He’ll need improvement while switching to dirt to challenge in the Louisiana Derby. Note that he is cross-entered to the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3).
Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame (Photo by Hodges Photography)
Start(s): 3
Wins: 1
Place: 1
Show: 0
Owner: Mr. John Magnier, Michael B. Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg, Gandharvi, and Brook T. Smith
Breeder: Earle I. Mack
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Jockey: Ricardo Santana Jr.
Top Speed Rating: (91) when breaking his maiden at Fair Grounds.
Total Earnings: $64,000
Sire: Gun Runner
Dam: Flag Day
Color: Chestnut
Runaway Fair Grounds maiden winner Hall of Fame faltered when stepping up in class for the Risen Star (G2) at Fair Grounds, making a mid-race move before fading to finish seventh. But perhaps he didn’t care for the sloppy track. If he finds fast footing in the Louisiana Derby, Hall of Fame has a chance to rebound.
Antiquarian
Antiquarian (Photo by Hodges Photography)
Start(s): 2
Wins: 1
Place: 1
Show: 0
Owner: Centennial Farms
Breeder: Brereton C. Jones
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: John Velazquez
Top Speed Rating: (87) when breaking his maiden at Fair Grounds.
Total Earnings: $53,000
Sire: Preservationist
Dam: Lifetime Memory
Color: Chestnut
Antiquarian pressed a slow pace on his way to victory in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight at Fair Grounds last month. He may encounter a quicker pace while stepping up sharply in class for the Louisiana Derby, so Antiquarian has obstacles to overcome.
Agate Road
Agate Road (Coglianese Photography)
Start(s): 6
Wins: 2
Place: 3
Show: 0
Owner: Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable
Breeder: CHC
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.
Top Speed Rating: (91) when finishing second in the Sam F. Davis (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs.
Total Earnings: $283,500
Sire: Quality Road
Dam: Yellow Agate
Color: Bay
Winner of the Pilgrim (G2) on turf last year, Agate Road switched to dirt in the Sam F. Davis (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs last month and rallied from 11th place to finish second. However, a decelerating pace helped Agate Road gain ground at Tampa, and the competition looks tougher at Fair Grounds. He is also cross-entered to the Jeff Ruby Steaks.
Catching Freedom
Catching Freedom wins the 2024 Smarty Jones S. at Oaklawn Park (Photo by Coady Photography)
Start(s): 4
Wins: 2
Place: 0
Show: 1
Owner: Albaugh Family Stables
Breeder: WinStar Farm
Trainer: Brad Cox
Jockey: Flavien Prat
Top Speed Rating: (91) when finishing third in the Risen Star (G2) at Fair Grounds.
Total Earnings: $277,350
Sire: Constitution
Dam: Catch My Drift
Color: Bay
A stretch-running winner of Oaklawn Park’s Smarty Jones S. on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, Catching Freedom exits a closing third-place finish (beaten 1 3/4 lengths) in the Risen Star, an important steppingstone toward the Louisiana Derby. Another top-three finish is well within reach for this improving Brad Cox trainee.
Awesome Ruta
Start(s): 7
Wins: 1
Place: 1
Show: 2
Owner: Tri-Star Racing and Cimarron TTT Farms
Breeder: Brian Levings
Trainer: Joseph Foster
Jockey: Mitchell Murrill
Top Speed Rating: (84) when finishing sixth in the Risen Star (G2) at Fair Grounds.
Total Earnings: $47,570
Sire: Mendelssohn
Dam: Awesome Prayer
Color: Bay
Awesome Ruta made his Road to the Kentucky Derby debut with a sixth-place finish in the Risen Star and will need a step forward to turn the tables on rivals like Track Phantom (see below) and Catching Freedom.
Honor Marie
Honor Marie wins the 2023 Kentucky Jockey Club (Coady Photography)
Start(s): 4
Wins: 2
Place: 1
Show: 0
Owner: Ribble Farms, Michael H. Eiserman, Earl I. Silver, Kenneth E. Fishbein, and Daniel Fishbein
Breeder: Royce Pulliam
Trainer: D. Whitworth Beckman
Jockey: Ben Curtis
Top Speed Rating: (96) when winning the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) at Churchill Downs.
Total Earnings: $326,175
Sire: Honor Code
Dam: Dame Marie
Color: Bay
Although Honor Marie gained ground only belatedly to finish fifth in the Risen Star, he was returning from a layoff and racing over a sloppy track. Honor Marie is 0-for-2 on sloppy tracks and 2-for-2 on fast footing, most notably rallying to a two-length win in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) on the Road to the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. Honor Marie is eligible to move forward in his second start of 2024, particularly if he encounters a fast track at Fair Grounds.
Next Level
Next Level (Photo by Hodges Photography)
Start(s): 8
Wins: 1
Place: 2
Show: 1
Owner: Don’t Tell My Wife Stables
Breeder: White Fox Farm
Trainer: Keith Desormeaux
Jockey: Jose Riquelme
Top Speed Rating: (89) when finishing third in the Del Mar Futurity (G1) at Del Mar.
Total Earnings: $146,350
Sire: Vino Rosso
Dam: Devious d’Oro
Color: Bay
Next Level has shown flashes of talent since last summer, but he’s 0-for-3 on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, finishing seventh in the American Pharoah (G1), seventh in the Gun Runner S., and eighth in the Rebel (G2). He’ll need better to challenge in the Louisiana Derby.
Real Men Violin
Real Men Violin (Photo by Coady Photography)
Start(s): 7
Wins: 1
Place: 4
Show: 1
Owner: Tilted Shamrock Stables
Breeder: Newtown Anner Stud
Trainer: Kenny McPeek
Jockey: Corey Lanerie
Top Speed Rating: (94) when finishing second in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) at Churchill Downs.
Total Earnings: $220,825
Sire: Mendelssohn
Dam: Meg Fitz
Color: Chestnut
Runner-up behind Honor Marie in the Kentucky Jockey Club last fall, Real Men Violin kicked off 2024 with an eighth-place finish in the Risen Star. He may improve in his second run of the season, so a top-five finish isn’t out of the question. It’s worth noting Real Men Violin defeated Track Phantom in a one-mile maiden special weight at Churchill Downs last October.
Common Defense
Common Defense (Photo by Coady Photography)
Start(s): 4
Wins: 1
Place: 2
Show: 0
Owner: Tony Holmes
Breeder: Tony Holmes, Norevale Farm, and Union Dale
Trainer: Kenny McPeek
Jockey: Brian Hernandez Jr.
Top Speed Rating: (95) when finishing second in the Rebel (G2) at Oaklawn Park.
Total Earnings: $325,450
Sire: Karakontie
Dam: Allusion
Color: Dark bay/brown
Common Defense has earned points in a couple of Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifiers, finishing fifth in the Southwest (G3) and second in the Rebel. In the latter race, he rallied nicely up the inside to finish only two lengths behind Grade 1 winner Timberlake. Common Defense is progressing in the right direction and enters off a fast five-furlong workout at Fair Grounds, so don’t count him out of the mix.
Tuscan Gold
Tuscan Gold (Photo by Coglianese Photography)
Start(s): 2
Wins: 1
Place: 0
Show: 0
Owner: William H. Lawrence, Walmac Farm, and Stonestreet Stables
Breeder: Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings
Trainer: Chad Brown
Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione
Top Speed Rating: (89) when breaking his maiden at Gulfstream Park.
Total Earnings: $47,100
Sire: Medaglia d’Oro
Dam: Valadorna
Color: Bay
Tuscan Gold was much the best in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight at Gulfstream Park two months ago, surging from off the pace to dominate by 6 1/4 lengths. He’s facing much tougher competition in the Louisiana Derby, but Tuscan Gold is bred to relish stretching out over 1 3/16 miles, giving him a shot at a top-five finish.
Track Phantom
Track Phantom wins the Lecomte (G3) at Fair Grounds (Photo by Hodges Photography)
Start(s): 6
Wins: 3
Place: 2
Show: 1
Owner: L and N Racing, Clark O. Brewster, Jerry Caroom, and Breeze Easy
Breeder: Breeze Easy
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Jockey: Joel Rosario
Top Speed Rating: (94) when winning the Gun Runner S. at Fair Grounds.
Total Earnings: $365,000
Sire: Quality Road
Dam: Miss Sunset
Color: Bay
There isn’t much speed in the Louisiana Derby field, which should play to the strengths of Track Phantom. At Fair Grounds, he’s survived a duel to win the Gun Runner S. by 1 1/4 lengths, led all the way to trounce the Lecomte (G3) by 2 3/4 lengths, and finished second by half a length after setting the pace in a deep renewal of the Risen Star. If Track Phantom secures an uncontested lead under two-time Louisiana Derby-winning jockey Joel Rosario, he’ll be tough to catch this Saturday.
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