Bravazo ‘sound,’ Stevens mystified after Louisiana Derby

Jockey Gary Stevens has ridden in nearly 30,000 races, but Bravazo’s eighth-place finish in Saturday’s Grade 2, $1 million Louisiana Derby left the Hall of Famer guessing.

“I don’t know what happened,” he said. “I really don’t.”

Stevens, however, was willing to offer suggestions for a colt who entered 2-for-2 on the year, including a victory last out over the Fair Grounds dirt in the Risen Star Stakes (G2).

“Maybe they’ll find some cuts in his mouth or a bad tooth or something,” Stevens said. “That’s what he acted like, like he was really fighting the bit, and it all happened at once.”

Bravazo, if healthy, should still be on to the 2018 Kentucky Derby despite missing the board. He earned 50 qualifying points by way of the Risen Star win, which came by a nose over Snapper Sinclair. Eventual Louisiana Derby winner Noble Indy was third in that race.

Stevens said he expected trainer D. Wayne Lukas to diagnose any troubles for the Calumet Farm-owned colt. Off as the second betting choice Saturday, Bravazo, a son of Awesome Again, never really got into the race.

“We were going fast and I eased into the three path going into the first turn and all of a sudden he wanted to go straight,” Stevens said. “I didn’t make the turn, I had a steering malfunction for whatever reason. I just don’t know, but he was lugging out with me the entire trip and I had both hands on the inside rein, literally, trying to hold him in.

“I was breaking his momentum and he was fighting me and I was just trying to keep him on track but wasn’t really able to accomplish that. I can’t explain why. He was sound after the race, pulled up good, but he was mad.”

HRN placed a call Sunday morning to Lukas. We'll update if new information arises.