Kentucky Derby 2018 Daily: Louisiana Derby field forms

The Desormeaux brothers are returning home for the Grade 2, $1 million Louisiana Derby with Southwest Stakes (G3) winner My Boy Jack set to join the top local runners for Fair Grounds’ final 2018 Kentucky Derby prep.

Yes, the race isn’t until March 24, but the post position draw is set for Saturday in New Orleans, where as of now a solid field of eight is considered probable, according to the racing office.

“As soon as he crossed the wire in Arkansas, we started thinking about our next move,” trainer Keith Desormeaux said. “When you win over a track, it makes sense to run right back there, but (part-owner) Sol Kumin brought up a good point: The Rebel is not an equal weights race, so off a graded stakes win, we would be at an immediate disadvantage.

"The Louisiana Derby is equal weights and there are twice as many points offered. It gives us an extra week, one million is a monster pot, and if we are forced to scratch or have an unlucky trip, there is time to get into another prep race and still make the Kentucky Derby."

Along with My Boy Jack — trained by Keith, and ridden by brother Kent Desormeaux — are the Top 3 finishers from the Feb. 17 Risen Star Stakes (G2): Bravazo, Snapper Sinclair and Noble Indy.

You’ll get the other four known contenders for a price. Filling out the field are allowance winners Retirement Fund and Dark Templar, stakes placed Lone Sailor and Kentucky Club, who will join his D. Wayne Lukas stablemate Bravazo.

The Louisiana Derby marks the first major prep that pays points to the Top 4 finishers on a 100-40-20-10 scale. Essentially, finish first or second, and you’re in the gate at Churchill Downs. And a horse with points previously earned on the trail could find his way in with a third-place effort.

“I live in California, but I’m 100% Louisiana-bred,” Keith Desormeaux said of a return. “I look for any good reason to come home, but that has no bearing on our racing decisions. Last year was my first time running in the Louisiana Derby, and we ran fifth with a longshot, Sorry Erik. We’ve had a nice run of success the last couple of years. It has been very rewarding for me and my family, anything that happens from this point forward is welcomed with appreciation and gratitude. A lot of hard work has gotten me here, and I just want to enjoy it.”

The prospective Louisiana Derby field:

Race calls for Solomini’s past starts would lead you to believe his name's pronounced Solo-“meany.” But, Zayat stables racing Manager Justin Zayat told us this week, it’s instead Solo-“mini.”

The Curlin colt is named after Solomon David Weiss, grandson of owner Ahmed Zayat and his wife, Joanne. Joanne’s dad was named Solomon, and Ahmed’s father was David.

“He’s like a mini Solomon,” Justin Zayat said of the horse’s namesake. “I always promised my sister (Ashley) and brother-in-law (Glenn). They always told me, ‘When we have a kid, we want you to name a good one after him.’

“I told them when Solomini was a 2-year-old horse that I really like this horse. Thank God it’s working out so far.”

The Bob Baffert-trained colt Solomini was installed as a 3-2 favorite for Saturday’s top Kentucky Derby prep, Oaklawn Park’s Grade 2, $900,000 Rebel Stakes. The race pays out qualifying points on a 50-20-10-5 scale to the Top 4.

Baffert will be looking for a record-extending seventh victory in the race.

Much at…steaks?

Hazit, the 5-1 morning line co-favorite for Turfway Park’s Grade 3, $200,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks, is a horse we’ve covered in previous Derby Daily reports.

“We’ve regrouped with him, and he’s been working really, really nicely,” Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ Aron Wellman said back in January. Wellman’s group is among the Todd Pletcher trainee’s owners and will see him run second off a layoff Saturday.

As for the other 5-1 shot in the prep, formerly known as the Spiral Stakes, Mark Casse-trained Ride a Comet is among those who will race on the surface for the first time.

But, Casse pointed out, “We bought him off the OBS sale and that's a synthetic track and he seemed to love it, so we decided to bring him here. He broke his maiden on dirt, but his turf win last out would also suggest he will take to a synthetic track.”

Hazit will break from post No. 7 in a field of 12, with Ride a Comet closer to the outside, in the 11.

“He's a pretty good horse, and we'll play the hand that was dealt to us,” Casse said of the $375,000 purchase, who has won two straight races, one in a race taken off the turf and another over the lawn.

Derby links

• Casse will also have a major presence in the Rebel, as he’s stepping $1.5 million purchase Curlin’s Honor up in class after a pair of neck victories. Said the trainer: “You never give up hope that this could be ‘the one.’”

• Horse Racing Nation’s Laurie Ross and Ashley Tamulonis continued their “Head to Head” handicapping series with Rebel Stakes picks and analysis. Spoiler: Neither has Solomini as the top win choice.

• HRN’s Reinier Macatangay is also siding against the favorite, with his Rebel Stakes pace analysis siding in favor of D. Wayne Lukas’ entry at Oaklawn Park.

• Continuing with the takes on undefeated Justify, HRN’s Laura Pugh likens him to horses other than Curlin and Bodemeister, who were others to test the old curse of Apollo.

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