GOLDEN TEMPO (Curlin), a fast-closing three-year-old colt trained by Cherie DeVaux, will add blinkers for his third start on the local Kentucky Derby prep circuit Saturday in the Grade 2 $1 million TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. Slated as Race 12 of Louisiana Derby Day’s 14-race program, first post is noon CT (1 p.m. Eastern)
Tabbed as the 7-2 second choice on the morning line, the homebred from Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable will face eight rivals while competing for 100-50-25-15-10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points.
Golden Tempo followed his last-to-first debut win with a breakthrough performance in the Grade 3 Lecomte, weaving through a 10-horse field along the rail before surging clear to win. In his most recent start, Golden Tempo again dropped back early and came on strong late, finishing third to Paladin in the Grade 2 Risen Star and earning 15 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to bring his total to 35.
“You know, he made a nice run (in the Risen Star),” DeVaux said. “He just gave himself a lot to do.” DeVaux said the colt has continued to develop in recent weeks and has worn blinkers in his morning breezes.
“We’re putting blinkers on him not to change his running style, but hopefully to get him in a better position so he doesn’t have to make up so much ground,” DeVaux said. “He’s got a really nice turn of foot. But I really just want to get him focused, and a couple times when he’s made his runs, even when he won, he kind of idled before he kicked clear. So we’re just trying to get him to be closer, and then when he makes his run, he makes it without any hesitation.”
Despite the equipment change, DeVaux emphasized that she expects the added distance of the 1 3/16 miles in the Louisiana Derby to play to Golden Tempo’s strengths.
The morning line favourite for the Louisiana Derby is CHIP HONCHO, who led for almost the entire 1 1/8 miles of the Risen Star only to be nabbed by Paladin. That was a peak effort for the son of Connect who is trained by Steve Asmussen. Luis Saez is back to ride at the slightly longer distance.
The impressive debut winner EMERGING MARKET, trained by Chad Brown, will be coming in from Payson Park in Florida for this big test. The son of Candy Ride (Arg)) earned a 97 Beyer Speed Figure, according to Daily Racing Form when he out-battled Powershift to win his maiden at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 7 . Powershift ran back in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) and finished sixth.
Ontario-bred Luv Your Neighbor Tries to Get By ‘Ballerina’
Godolphin’s multiple graded-stakes winner Bella Ballerina will renew her rivalry with Ontario-bred Luv Your Neighbor in the Grade 2 $400,000 Fair Grounds Oaks presented by Fasig-Tipton at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. The 1 1/16-mile race has drawn a field of seven three-year-old fillies and serves as the final local stop on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks, awarding 100-50-25-15-10 qualifying points to the top five finishers.
Bella Ballerina enters off a determined victory in the Rachel Alexandra, where she fought back (or perhaps her rival stalled once again?) after being headed in the stretch by Luv Your Neighbor to prevail late. With the Grade 2 Golden Rod also on her resume, the Brendan Walsh trainee was installed as the 7-5 morning-line favorite and will break from post 5 with Tyler Gaffalione aboard. A half-sister to 2023 Eclipse Awards champion three-year-old filly and Kentucky Oaks winner Pretty Mischievous, Bella Ballerina will put her perfect record on the line again Saturday.
Luv Your Neighbor, bred by David Anderson’s Anderson Farms Ont. Inc and Ontario 552727 Ontario Ltd.,will look to turn the tables in the rematch after pressing Bella Ballerina throughout the Rachel Alexandra before settling for second. The Mike Stidham trainee, owned by Lael Stables, has finished second in each of the local Oaks preps this season and ranks eighth on the leaderboard with 40 points. Luis Saez returns aboard the Constitution filly, who drew post 4, just inside Bella Ballerina.
Anderson’s Faber vs Tom’s Magic in Muniz
Here is a cool storyline to the Fair Grounds card from a Canadian standpoint. While Luv Your Neighbor tries to break out of her second-place streak, her older half-brother FABER (Improbable) competes in race 11, the Grade 2 Muniz Memorial Classic for $300,000 on the grass. Faber, just purchased through a Fasig-Tipton Digital Sale by David Anderson for $140,000, not only returns to his breeder, but he comes off a turf win at Fair Grounds. Both Faber and ‘Neighbor are out of the mare Disobedient by Into Mischief.
Faber meets up with one of the top three-year-olds bred in Canada of 2025, TOM’S MAGIC (Justify), who has won a stakes race on the Fair Grounds turf and he comes off a second-place finish in the Tampa Bay Handicap (G3) last month when hindered by a slow early pace. Tom’s Magic was bred by Sean and Dorothy Fitzhenry.
-with files from CT
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