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Expanded Road to the Derby Series Highlighted at Fair Grounds Meet

For its 150th anniversary racing season, Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots will boast 59 stakes worth a combined $7.795 million–up more than $600,000 from last season–during its 80-day, 2021-22 Thoroughbred meet, which is set to begin Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 25.

“Fair Grounds Race Track is embedded in the history of New Orleans,” said Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots president Doug Shipley. “We have always been very proud to be part of such a great city and this year marks the 150th anniversary of our inaugural season. We are very excited to continue our growth and support of the Thoroughbred racing industry with our purse allocation and this year's diverse and dynamic stakes schedule. Having not only the best fans, but also the best horsemen and jockeys from all around the world provides an unforgettable experience of high caliber racing at The Fair Grounds.”

The Louisiana Derby Day card Mar. 26 will feature eight stakes worth a total of $2.525 million, including the 109th running of the $1-million GII Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby. The Louisiana Derby is worth 100-40-20-10 points to the top four finishers and is the fourth and final local prep on the Road to the GI Kentucky Derby. The 54th running of the GII Twinspires.com Fair Grounds Oaks offers 100-40-20-10 en route to the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks.

A pair of brand new 2-year-old stakes with Kentucky Derby and Oaks point implications (10-4-2-1) have been added to the Fair Grounds stakes schedule for the Dec. 26 Road to the Derby Kickoff Day card. The $100,000 Gun Runner S. will be contested at 1 1/16 miles and the $100,000 Untapable S. for fillies will be run over one mile and 70 yards.

On Jan. 22, the Road to the Derby Day features a pair of key 3-year-old events–the GIII Lecomte S. and the Silverbulletday S. The top four finishers in each race receive 10-4-2-1 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and Oaks.

On Feb. 19, Louisiana Derby Preview Day features a pair of key 3-year-old stakes–the GII Risen Star S. and the GII Rachel Alexandra S. The top four finishers receive 50-20-10-5 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and Oaks.

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Equipment Check: Mandaloun Gallops In Bit Designed For ‘Tough Horses’

Sporting a rather unique bridle during morning training hours at Churchill Downs has been Kentucky Derby contender Mandaloun, a flashy bay son of Into Mischief trained by Brad Cox.

“We call it a gag bit,” Cox explained Friday morning. “He's a strong horse to gallop, so it just kind of gives the rider a little bit more control. It slows him down a little bit, so that's the reason for using that. We use in on several of what we call 'tough horses,' horses that kind of want to over-train at times.”

Cox said the 3-year-old homebred for Juddmonte Farm has been wearing the bridle during morning training since at least January, but the colt breezes and races in the more traditional ring bit.

The sharp-looking Mandaloun has been training forwardly since his last race, a race Cox called “a clunker,” when he ran sixth as the heavy favorite in the G2 Louisiana Derby. Prior to that race, Mandaloun had finished third by a length in the G3 Lecomte, and won the G2 Risen Star by 1 1/4 lengths.

“He was training so well leading up to the Louisiana Derby, and he was the favorite; we thought he would perform well, and he just didn't,” said Cox. “He was a little flat in the race, but he bounced out of it in great order, so that's why we're here.

“He deserves the right to run as long as he's doing well, and he's doing fantastic… He's definitely the question mark in the field as to if he's going to show up. If he does, he's a contender. If he runs the Louisiana Derby race, he's not.”

Mandaloun gallops on Friday morning at Churchill Downs

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Cox, Juddmonte Keeping Derby On The Table For Risen Star Winner Mandaloun

On a brisk Spring morning beneath the historic Twin Spires, Juddmonte Farm's Risen Star (Grade 2) winner Mandaloun started his serious preparation toward the first Saturday in May with a half-mile breeze Saturday in :49.80 under jockey Florent Geroux.

Trained by Brad Cox, Mandaloun was the highly-touted 6-5 favorite in the $1 million Louisiana Derby (G2) but finished a disappointing sixth behind eventual winner Hot Rod Charlie. The Into Mischief colt worked outside of Louisiana-bred stakes winner Australasia through a moderate :25.40 opening quarter-mile fraction. The duo galloped out together through five furlongs in 1:02.60 and completed the work with a six-furlong time of 1:16.40, according to Churchill Downs clocker John Nichols.

“There really wasn't an excuse in the Louisiana Derby,” Cox said. “I hate to use the cliché of drawing a line through the race, but that is what we are doing. At the half-mile pole, he really didn't continue to put himself into the race and was out of gas. We had high hopes, obviously, that he would run better in that race. We talked it over with the folks from Juddmonte and if he continues to train well, we are going to pursue the Derby.”

Moments before Mandaloun's work, Cox's top $1.25 million Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) contender Travel Column breezed a half-mile in :48.60. She began the work with a :24.60 quarter-mile time and galloped out five furlongs in 1:02.

Other stars that recorded works Saturday morning at Churchill Downs included 2020 Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Swiss Skydiver, who worked a half-mile in :48 under jockey Robby Albarado and undefeated Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) hero Aunt Pearl, who worked a half-mile in :48.60 under Geroux.

Training hours at Churchill Downs will switch Monday to the normal 5:30-10 a.m. (all times Eastern) with two renovation breaks from 7-7:30 a.m. and 8:30-9 a.m. Weather permitting, turf training is scheduled to begin on April 18 from 9:30-10 a.m. every Sunday and Tuesday.

Special 7:30-7:45 a.m. training for Oaks and Derby contenders will begin Saturday, April 17.

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‘Mild Sprain’ Pulls Senor Buscador Off Kentucky Derby Trail

Remington Springboard Mile winner Senor Buscador is no longer on the Kentucky Derby trail. The 3-year-old son of Mineshaft came out of a Friday breeze at Sam Houston with a “mild sprain” in his suspensory ligament, trainer Todd Fincher told horseracing.net.

“We are just doing what is best for the horse long term, because we could run him, but it would be risky,” Fincher said. “We need to stop him and give him time off because he such a good horse and has a bright future.”

Senor Buscador is a homebred for Joe Peacock, Jr. out of the top New Mexico-bred mare Rose's Desert, making him a half-brother to G3 winner Runaway Ghost. The colt broke his maiden at Remington Park on Nov. 6, circling the field with a big late run to win the 5 1/2-furlong sprint by 2 1 1/2 lengths. He immediately stepped up to win the Springboard Mile in similar fashion on Dec. 18, romping by 5 3/4 lengths.

Next out, Fincher sent Senor Buscador to the Fair Grounds for the G2 Risen Star Stakes on Feb. 13, but the colt could only manage fifth on the day. He had been targeting the G2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn in two weeks' time, but will now be given time away from the races.