Barn Notes
Blackberry Road Among Lecomte Probables
FAIR GROUNDS BARN NOTES
Headlines for Friday, January 04, 2008
· Dogwood’s Blackberry Road Among Lecomte Probables
· Col. E.R. Bradley Handicap Now a Grade III Event
· Louisiana Handicap, Leggio, Gaudin Memorials, Tiffany Lass Stakes Also On Tap Jan. 12
· ‘Costa’ Will Rise Again After Ankle Chip Removal
Dogwood’s Blackberry Road Among Lecomte Probables
NEW ORLEANS, La. – How good is Dogwood Stable’s Blackberry Road? Good enough that Dogwood president Cot Campbell and a contingent of Dogwood staffers will journey from Aiken, S.C., to New Orleans to watch the son of Gone West make his first start as a sophomore in Fair Grounds’ Grade III Lecomte Stakes on Jan. 12.
“I always look forward to coming to New Orleans,” said Campbell from his Aiken headquarters Friday afternoon. “It’s my birthplace and I love that city. Hopefully, our horse will run well in the Lecomte and we would then run him in the Risen Star (Feb. 9) and the Louisiana Derby after that.”
Blackberry Road finished second by a half-length in his last start in the Grade II Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs on Nov. 24, but had some excuse, according to his jockey Calvin Borel. Borel, a native of St. Martinville, La., will ride Blackberry Road in the Lecomte.
“Calvin told me he was a little rank in the first part of that last race,” said Campbell, “and by the time he got the colt to settle down he had left himself too much to do. But the horse finished full of run and we were quite happy about that.”
Borel, who rode Street Sense to victory in last year’s Kentucky Derby, has affectionately dubbed Blackberry Road with the nickname “Little Street.”
“That’s very flattering,” said Campbell when reminded of that moniker. “Now I hope some of that nickname rubs off on him.”
The Lecomte is one of six stakes with $100,000 purses that will be contested on “Road to the Derby” Kickoff Day. The Lecomte is the first leg of the Louisiana Derby Series that will continue Feb. 9 with the $300,000 Grade III Risen Star Stakes and is capped by the $600,000 Louisiana Derby on March 8.
The Louisiana Derby, of course, is a major stepping stone on the road to the Triple Crown, and it is the 3-year-olds that have always captured the imagination of the public at this time of year.
Those projected to face Blackberry Road in the Lecomte include Texas Fever, winner of Turfway’s Grade III Kentucky Cup Juvenile on Sept. 29; He’s Eze, front-running victor in Calder’s Jack Price Juvenile Nov. 10, Star Guitar, winner of Fair Grounds’ Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile Dec. 8, and Mad Flatter, impressive when winning his local bow around two turns on Dec. 27.
Col. E.R. Bradley Handicap Now a Grade III Event
The $100,000 Col. E.R. Bradley Handicap, for 4-year-olds and up at about 1 1/16 miles over Fair Grounds’ Stall-Wilson turf course, enjoys Grade III status for the first time for its 22nd running on “Road to the Derby” Kickoff Day.
Melnyk Racing Stables Inc.’s Sterwins, winner of Fair Grounds’ $60,000 “Buddy” Diliberto Memorial Handicap Dec. 15, is among those likely for the Bradley.
Others projected for the Bradley include French Beret, beaten three-quarters of a length in Woodbine’s $100,000 Labeeb Stakes Oct. 28; General Charley, winner of Retama’s $100,000 Texas Hall of Fame Stakes Oct. 13; French-bred Gold Sound, who captured Sam Houston’s Buffalo Bayou Stakes Dec. 8; Major Rhythm, winner of his last start at Woodbine Dec. 8; Argentine-bred Optimer, runner-up to Sterwins in the Diliberto, and Save Big Money, third in the Diliberto a head behind Optimer.
Louisiana Handicap, Leggio, Gaudin, Tiffany Lass Also On Kickoff Day
The next three event days at Fair Grounds will each feature six stakes races. On Jan. 12, the other stakes on “Road to the Derby” Kickoff Day include the Tiffany Lass Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, the Louisiana Handicap for older horses, the Dr. A.B. Leggio Memorial Stakes for filly and mare sprinters on the turf and the F.W. Gaudin Memorial for male sprinters.
Stonerside Stable LLC’s Tizaqueena broke her maiden impressively in her career debut here Dec. 2, and should merit considerable respect despite her inexperience if she goes in $100,000 Tiffany Lass.
Savorthetime Stables LP Alina, winner of Remington’s E.L. Gaylord Memorial Stakes Oct. 20, may be the one to beat. Other fillies considered likely include High Surf, winner of her career debut but a disappointment in the Letellier Memorial here, and Highest Class, a rapidly developing daughter of Mineshaft who has won her last two starts.
Feel the Thunder Stable’s Sandburr, who captured last year’s Louisiana Handicap, is expected to try again in the 62nd running of the $100,000 event.
However, also likely to go the post is Steve’s Double, winner of Fair Grounds’ $60,000 Tenacious Handicap on Dec. 1 and Keeneland’s Grade III Perryville Stakes Oct. 13.
Others likely are Crossword, a winner in his last Dec. 24 here; and Port Clyde, runner-up a neck behind Crossword on that day.
Roger Smith’s Smitty’s Sunshine, winner of last year’s $100,000 Dr. A. B. Leggio Memorial Stakes, is slated to try again in the 5 1/2-furlong grass dash this year.
Flying Circle, a winner of Churchill’s Mariah’s Storm Stakes; British-bred Danceroftherealm, a winner here Dec. 29; Byenne, winner of a minor stakes at Hawthorne Nov. 18; and Kindling, runner-up by half here Dec. 6 are also likely for the Leggio.
Midnight Cry Stable’s Stormin Baghdad, winner of his last three including the $60,000 Thanksgiving Handicap on Nov. 22 and the $100,000 Bonapaw Dec. 22, is expected to head the field in the $100,000 F. W. Gaudin Memorial at six furlongs.
Undefeated Euroears, 3-for-3 in his career, is expected to put that perfect record on the line when facing Stormin Baghdad in the Gaudin.
Also likely for the Gaudin is Greeley’s Conquest, second in the Remington Sprint Championship on Oct. 21 and Semaphore Man, third in Pimlico’s Grade III Maryland Sprint Handicap in his last start May 19 on Preakness Day.
‘Costa’ Will Rise Again After Ankle Chip Removal
Charles Castille Jr.’s Costa Rising, winner of the last two runnings of the Louisiana Champions Day Classic, will race again in 2008.
That was the update from trainer Glenn Delahoussaye Monday morning as the conditioner prepared to retrieve his star from the Acadian Equine Clinic a few miles away from his Evangeline Training Center home base.
“He did have a small chip on his left rear ankle and Dr. Marylin Rumbaugh took it out the other day,” said Delahoussaye. “I’m going to go pick him up this morning and bring him back here. We could probably have raced him again without taking it out, but there was maybe a five percent chance of danger so we went ahead and got it done.
“Mr. Castille has been very conservative with this horse since he came into his own,” said Delahoussaye, “and that’s the way we will continue with him. Originally, we were planning to run this horse on Premier Night at Delta, and then bring him back to Fair Grounds for the New Orleans Handicap. That plan has been changed for now, but that’s not to say it won’t happen next year.
“In the meantime, I’m guessing we will give him about 90 days off,” Delahoussaye added. “He may be ready to go back into training after 60 days, but we’re going to let him tell us.
“What we’d like to do is get some longevity out of this horse and try to make him the top Louisiana-bred of all time, and the way he runs, it may not take that long. His sire (Irish-bred Royal Strand) was still winning graded stakes as a 7-year-old.”
