Photo by Skip Dickstein
Barn Notes
Blackberry Road Breezes Sunday for Louisiana Derby
FAIR GROUNDS BARN NOTES
Headlines for Sunday, March 02, 2008
· Blackberry Road Breezes Sunday for Louisiana Derby
· Unbridled Vicar Gets Louisiana Derby Tune-Up
· J Be K, Silver Lord Also on Tab
· Likely Derby, Handicap Favorites To Work Monday
Blackberry Road Breezes Sunday for Louisiana Derby
NEW ORLEANS, La. – Dogwood Stable’s Blackberry Road, one of the more solid threats to upset the red-hot Pyro in Saturday’s $600,000 Grade II Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds, breezed five furlongs in 1:02.20 here Sunday morning.
“He went fine,” said trainer David Carroll shortly after the move. “He’s never been a big work(out) horse. We just needed to give him a little maintenance move.
“It doesn’t look like it’s going to be a real big field,” said Carroll when asked if he was hoping for any particular post position at Monday’s Derby draw, “but it’s going to be a good field. What we’d really like to have more than anything else is a good clean trip.”
Blackberry Road was hopelessly trapped most of the way when fifth behind Pyro in the $300,000 Risen Star Stakes here Feb. 9. Before that, he was clearly second best in the Grade III Lecomte at one mile in his first start of the year but was gaining ground at the end.
The Louisiana Derby, which is the richest Kentucky Derby prep to date, is contested at 1 1/16 miles.
Carroll also breezed his sophomore colt Denis of Cork Sunday, going five furlongs in 1:01.60. Denis of Cork will put his undefeated record on the line in the Rebel at Oaklawn March 15.
Unbridled Vicar Gets Louisiana Derby Tune-Up
Jim Tafel’s Unbridled Vicar breezed five furlongs in 1:02.40 Sunday morning at Fair Grounds in preparation for Saturday’s Louisiana Derby.
“He worked very good,” said trainer Greg Geier of Unbridled Vicar, who finished fourth in Fair Grounds’ Grade III Risen Star after being forced to alter course. “The (exercise rider) was pleased and I was pleased. So we’re all ready to go now.”
In Unbridled Vicar’s previous effort in a second-level allowance race Jan. 19 at Fair Grounds, the homebred son of Vicar by an Unbridled mare was second by a half-length to Denis of Cork after being kept wide on both turns.
J Be K, Silver Lord Also on Tab
Zayat Stable’s J Be K, trainer Steve Asmussen’s “other” horse besides Pyro in Saturday’s Louisiana Derby, breezed five furlongs in 1:01 Sunday morning over the Fair Grounds strip.
The undefeated Silver Deputy colt won a first-level allowance race at Fair Grounds by five lengths in his second career start Feb. 15 after breaking his maiden at first asking last summer at Saratoga.
Bowman Couch Racing’s Silver Lord, runner-up behind Grasshopper in Fair Grounds’ Grade III Mineshaft Handicap Feb. 9, breezed five furlongs in 1:03 in preparation for Saturday’s $500,000 New Orleans Handicap.
Silver Lord won the $100,000 Louisiana Handicap here on Jan. 12 in his stakes debut.
Likely Derby, Handicap Favorites To Work Monday
Winchell Thoroughbred’s Pyro, the expected favorite for the Louisiana Derby, and William Farish et al.’s Grasshopper, the probable choice in the New Orleans Handicap, are both scheduled to work Monday morning during the first hour of training at Fair Grounds.
Pyro is slated to go to the track at his standard time of about 6:15 a.m., while Grasshopper is expected to follow shortly thereafter at about 6:30 a.m.
Another Derby probable, Tale of Ekati, will get his final workout Monday at Palm Meadows training center in Florida, trainer Barclay Tagg confirmed Sunday.
