Seven Turf Stakes to be Contested with a Special Early Post time of 12:00 noon
Bossier City, LA – The draw took place today for Super Derby Day at Harrah’s Louisiana Downs on Saturday, September 9. The program will get underway at 12:00 pm (Central) for the 13-race card which will feature seven turf stakes, highlighted by the running of the $200,000 Super Derby. The richest race of the 2017 Thoroughbred season is written for 3-year-olds going a mile and one-sixteenth on the Franks Turf Course.
Flurry Racing Stable LLC’s Mr. Misunderstood was the winner of the $60,000 Super Derby Prelude, here on August 5. That victory gave the gelded son of Archarcharch, who is undefeated in each of his four turf starts, a berth into the Super Derby. Trained by Brad Cox, the Kentucky-bred will break from post position four under jockey Chris Rosier at odds of 9-5.
“We were hoping to draw either the four or five hole, so it worked out well,” said owner Staton Flurry. “It’s an interesting race, for sure, but Brad and I have confidence in our horse on the turf. Hopefully, he will run as well on Saturday as he did in the Prelude.”
Flurry and Rosier and close friends, so even though Rosier departed Louisiana to ride at Remington Park, he will be back aboard the dark brown gelding on Saturday afternoon.
“We never even talked about another rider,” added Flurry. “Chris rode him so well here, there would be no reason to take him off Mr. Misunderstood.”
Trainer Mike Maker will ship Kenneth L. and Sarah K. Ramsey’s homebred Gorgeous Kitten,who drew post position two with Colby Hernandez in the irons. The colt by Kitten’s Joy will be making his seventh turf start with three recent graded stakes appearances at Arlington Park. He ran second in both the Grade 3, Arlington Classic and American Derby before stepping up to the Grade 1, $400,000 Secretariat on August 12. Gorgeous Kitten ran fifth to Oscar Performance in that stakes and will make his Louisiana Downs debut at odds of 5-2. Maker and the Ramseys won the 2014 edition of the Super Derby with Vicar’s in Trouble when it was a main-track mile and one-eighth graded stake.
Another strong contender making his Louisiana Downs debut is Sonneteer. Bred and owned by Calumet Farms, the son of Midnight Lute has faced tough company in California and had a solid meet at Oaklawn Park, capped by a fourth-place finish in the Grade 1, Arkansas Derby on April 15. He followed that with a start in the Grade 1, Kentucky Derby before returning to California. Trained by J. Keith Desormeaux, Sonneteer won his turf debut on July 23 at Del Mar, closing from off the pace to score by a nose. Veteran Louisiana-based rider Gerard Melancon has the call on the Sonneteer, the highest earner in the field with $323,685 bankrolled to date.
Brad Grady’s Phat Man will ship in from Kentucky in search of his first victory on the turf. Sired by Munnings, Phat Man will return to action following a run in the Grade 3, West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer last month. Trainer Joe Sharp has given the mount to Roberto Morales and looks for his runner to make an impact in the Super Derby.
“His dam (Nicole’s Dream) is a grade 2 winner on the grass,” said Sharp. “We ran him in the Texas Heritage Stakes on the turf at Sam Houston earlier this year and he never picked up his feet, but we wanted to give him another chance. Of course, I wouldn’t be upset if it rained and it came off the turf!”
Fast Talkin Man, a Texas-bred son of Oratory, trained by Danny Pish, ran second to Mr. Misunderstood in the Prelude under rider Luis Quinonez. He broke from the rail in the Prelude and drew the far inside post again for the Super Derby. Pish was pleased with his effort here onAugust 5, but is hoping for a different pace scenario on Saturday; one that will set up well for the big closing kick on Fast Talkin Man.
“This horse is a deep closer and the fractions did not set him up in the Prelude,” said Pish. “He always comes home like a monster.”
The field from the rail with jockeys: Fast Talkin Man, Luis Quinonez; Gorgeous Kitten, Colby Hernandez; Flying Honeypot, Carlos L. Marquez; Mr. Misunderstood, Chris Rosier; Sonneteer, Gerard Melancon; and Phat Man, Roberto Morales.
Sister Blues and Illusionofreality Return in the $60,000 River Cities
The stakes action gets underway in the second race of the card, with a field of six fillies and mares in the $60,000 River Cities. Two stakes winners from Louisiana Cup Day on August 5 will return to the Franks Turf Course.
Sister Blues, a 5-year-old daughter of Pioneer of the Nile, was the winner of the $50,000 Opelousas and will break from the rail under jockey Colby Hernandez. Brad Cox trains the 5-year-old mare for breeder and owner Lucky Seven Stable.
Leading Louisiana Downs trainer Joey Foster will saddle Illusionofreality, who will be gunning for her fifth consecutive win of the meet for owners Maury and Leslie Harrington.. The 4-year-old filly sired by Yankee Gentleman, scored her first stakes victory last month in the $50,000 Louisiana Cup Distaff. She drew post position six and will reunite with regular rider Alexander Castillo in the mile and one-sixteenth stakes.
Competitive Field of Sprinters Set in the $50,000 Need for Speed
The $50,000 Need for Speed, at a distance of five furlongs on the turf, will run as the fourth race of the afternoon. The field of nine includes stakes winner Eden Grey’s Kitten, owned byWhispering Oaks Farm, LLC. The 5-year-old son of Kitten’s Joy has won eight of his 24 lifetime starts for trainer Steve Flint. He will break from post position six under Gerard Melancon. Sir Genghis, sired by Tale of the Cat, won the Louisiana Legends Classic Stakes at Evangeline Downs in July, Trained by Kirk Harris, the Louisiana-bred will be seeking his tenth career win with jockey Kerwin Clark in the irons.
Competitive Group of Two-Year-Olds Drawn for the $60,000 Sunday Silence
Rising two-year-old stars will compete at the distance of one mile in the $60,000 Sunday Silence. Recent maiden-breaking juveniles Virginia Lazenby’s Lucky Mon, ELA Racing Stable’s Too Tall Tony and Jerry Durant’s Budro Talking are among the field of nine.
Nine Fillies and Mares to Run in the $50,000 Tellike Stakes
Race eight is the $50,000 Tellike Stakes for 3-year-old fillies and mares. A field of nine will sprint five furlongs on the Franks Turf Course.
Look Into My Eyes, a 5-year-old daughter of City Zip, owned by Kathleen Amaya and Raffaele Centofanti, is a multiple-stakes winner and will break from post position nine under Jesus Rios.
She has won eight career efforts, including the $50,000 Louisiana Cup Filly and Mare Sprint here in 2016. Love Partnership Interests Lp’s Boom Bam Bing is a stakes-placed daughter of Exchange Rate from the barn of Karl Broberg. Also, Curtis C. Green’s homebred Justa Lady will make her stakes debut for trainer Steve Asmussen. The 4-year-old filly by More Than Ready is closing in on the $200,000 earnings mark and ships in from Ellis Park in Kentucky.
Field of 13 Fillies Entered in the $60,000 Happy Ticket
An overflow field of 2-year-old fillies will travel one mile in the $60,000 Happy Ticket, which will be run as the ninth race on the Super Derby program. Trainer H. B. Johnson will saddle Chloe Raven, a filly by Winslow Homer, who he co-owns with Fletcher B. Clement. She is undefeated in her two starts and will be ridden by Kerwin Clark. Indiana Grand allowance winner, Lady O’Toole, owned by Steve Landers Racing, is also making her stakes debut for Brad Cox. Recent maiden winners Aim Spot, Coraluna and Taylor’s Princess each figure to lend appeal to this edition of the Happy Ticket.
Big Changes Leads the Field in the $60,000 Unbridled
Trainer Brad Cox, who won three of the nine stakes on Louisiana Cup Day, is hoping for a second stakes score by Big Changes in the $60,000 Unbridled. The Florida-bred son of Shipman owned by Steve Landers Racing captured the $50,000 John Henry here last month. Jockey Diego Saenz, who was the winning pilot, retains the mount in the mile and one-sixteenth turf feature, to be run as the tenth race of the card.
$75,000 All Stakes Pick 4 on Super Derby Day
Officials have announced that there will be a $75,000 Guaranteed All-Stakes Pick 4 on Saturday, September 9, beginning on race 8. The wager will encompass four stakes, including the $200,000 Super Derby.
“We feel that with seven stakes, including the richest race of our meet, that our fans will enjoy the All Stakes Pick 4,” said Trent McIntosh, Louisiana Downs assistant general manager. “With full fields and a very competitive field of turf specialists in the Super Derby, this wager will be compelling for both our local fans and horseplayers across the country.”
Handicapping Preview Show Gets Underway at 11:00 am
Louisiana Downs track announcer John McGary and regional racing publicist Martha Claussen will team up for a pre-race handicapping preview at 11:00 am in the Inside Rail, located on the first floor of the grandstand. They will offer analysis of each of the races on the Super Derby card as well as the All Stakes Pick 4.
Ideal Weather Conditions on Tap for Super Derby Day
Excellent weather is forecast for Bossier City on Saturday, with sunny skies, a high of 83 degrees and just a 10 percent chance of rain.
About Harrah’s Louisiana Downs
Located near Shreveport in Bossier City, Louisiana, Louisiana Downs opened in 1974 and was purchased by Caesars Entertainment in December, 2002. With annual Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing seasons, the track is committed to presenting the highest quality racing programs paired with its 150,000 square foot entertainment complex offering casino gambling, dining and plasma screen televisions for sports and simulcast racing.
For further information, please contact:
| Trent McIntosh | Assistant General Manager O 318-752-6980 8000 East Texas Street | Bossier City, LA 71111 www.caesars.com |
