Epicenter sets track record, wins $1 million Louisiana Derby

New Orleans

Epicenter not only passed his final test en route to the Kentucky Derby but also earned some extra credit when coming from off the pace to win the Grade 2, $1 million Louisiana Derby on Saturday at Fair Grounds.

The 2 1/2-length victory cements Winchell Thoroughbreds’ Not This Time colt as one of the favorites for the Kentucky Derby on May 7 at Churchill Downs.

“Speed and the rail is the place to be, and (jockey) Florent Geroux did a good job of protecting that with Zozos, so (our jockey) Joel Rosario didn’t press the issue, tracked nicely, wasn’t rank, and finished well through the wire,” Epicenter’s trainer Steve Asmussen said. “It was nice to see him respond without having the race handed to him. Now we know if they go fast we can be patient, and if there’s no speed then we can be the ones to go.”

Epicenter was never more than two lengths off the pace set by Zozos, though neither he nor Pioneer of Medina offered any resistance when Rosario made his move turning for home en route to victory in 1:54.38 for the 1 3/16 miles, the fastest of four clockings at that distance in the history of Fair Grounds.

Epicenter has now won three of his last four races, including the Risen Star Stakes (G2) at 1 1/8 miles in gate-to-wire fashion and the Louisiana Derby in his last two. He has won 4 of 6 starts and earned more than $1 million.

“I’m 0-for-26 in the (Kentucky) Derby, and now I’m going with a great chance,” Asmussen said. “It’s a race I really want to win, and now we have the blocks in place.”

Asmussen said that Epicenter would be back at Churchill Downs by Monday and he would let the weather dictate the plan for the colt’s first work back en route to the world’s most prestigious horse race.

“It was nice that we could dispel the critics who were wondering if we were a need-the-lead-type of horse,” Winchell’s Racing Manager David Fiske said. “Now we have top horses for the first Friday and Saturday in May.”

Fiske was referencing undefeated champion Echo Zulu, who won the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) the race prior to Epicenter’s score. The Oaks-Derby double capped a five-win day for Asmussen and Rosario with three of those wins coming under Winchell’s silks.

“You dream about waking up to a day like today,” Fiske said, adding that Ron Winchell was in the United Arab Emirates for Midnight Bourbon’s Dubai World Cup but that the owner stayed up to watch Fair Grounds. “He definitely did not go to bed. This is one of the best days we’ve ever had.”

“This was a very emotional day with having Echo Zulu come back off the layoff and then Epicenter winning the (Louisiana) Derby,” Asmussen said.

Asmussen credited Fair Grounds 3-year-old program with putting Epicenter in a position to be his best chance to win the Kentucky Derby.

“This colt’s development has been fantastic,” he said. “The surface is great to train, and he’s come along physically. He never plateaued; he just keeps getting better, and now we’re as prepared as possible to win the Kentucky Derby.”

Barry and Joni Butzow’s Zozos finished second with Pioneer of Medina, who got loose before the race, holding on for third. The top two are virtually guaranteed spots in the Kentucky Derby with the efforts.