First Look: Louisiana path for Kentucky Derby begins

The racing calendar is a bit busier this weekend, with Smile Happy returning in the Grade 3 Louisiana Stakes and Midnight Memories returning in the La Cañada (G3).

The weekend will produce new horses in second place on the Kentucky Derby and Oaks leaderboards, with the Lecomte (G3) and Silverbulletday each offering 20 points to the winner. Plus, Sunland Park and Turfway Park have preps for points preps on their schedule.

Here’s an early look at the fields.

Friday

Riley Allison Derby (listed), Sunland Park, 1 mile, 3-year-olds

This one’s a prep for the Sunland Park Derby (G3), which offers 20-10-6-4-2 Kentucky Derby qualifying points, and two long shots in Nevada futures for the Kentucky Derby are entered. Crafted led at every call to win his Dec. 14 debut, and Lucky Jeremy would make his first start since a gate-to-wire maiden win on Oct. 29.

Saturday

Louisiana (G3), Fair Grounds, 1 1/16 miles, 4-year-olds and up

This will be the first start for Smile Happy since he finished fifth in the Stephen Foster (G1) in July. Before that, he won the Alysheba (G2) over Art Collector. Red Route One is 0-for-3 since winning the West Virginia Derby (G3) in August. Saudi Crown had a record of 5: 3-2-0, including a win in the Pennsylvania Derby (G1), before he finished 10th last out in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Lecomte (G3), Fair Grounds, 1 1/16 miles, 3-year-olds, 20-10-6-4-2 Kentucky Derby qualifying points

Track Phantom has a record of 4: 2-1-1 and won the black-type Gun Runner last out over two others entered here. Can Group, fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, returns to dirt for this one. Ethan Energy is entered here off a 5 1/4-length win in a maiden special weight at this track and distance. He’s one of three entries for Brad Cox, along with Nash, third in the Gun Runner, and Awesome Road, fifth last out in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2). Awesome Road is cross-entered in the Leonatus Saturday at Turfway Park.

Silverbulletday (listed), Fair Grounds, 1 mile, 70 yards, 3-year-old fillies, 20-10-6-4-2 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points

Miss Code West is 4-for-4, all at Remington Park, including a gate-to-wire win in a black-type stakes last out. West Omaha and Sistina Chapel were second and third last out at this track and distance, and neither has finished out of the money. Ma Rae’s Girl has made three starts at three tracks, and she led at every call to win a one-mile optional-claiming allowance at Turfway last out.

La Cañada (G3), Santa Anita, 1 1/16 miles, fillies and mares, 4-year-olds and up

In her first start since March, Midnight Memories won the Bayakoa Stakes (G3), with Desert Dawn, also possible here, in second. Coffee in Bed, fifth last out in the Autumn Miss (G3), is seeking her first stakes win. Signorina Merisi returned from a six-month break to finish second in two optional-claiming allowances before winning the Miss America Stakes.

Leonatus (listed), Turfway, 1 mile (synthetic), 3-year-olds

This one’s a prep for the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3), which offers 100-50-25-15-10 Kentucky Derby points. J Bird Time, a maiden winner who is a Las Vegas long shot for the Kentucky Derby, also is entered in an optional-claiming allowance at Turfway on Thursday. Awesome Road, also in the Derby futures, is cross-entered in the Lecomte. Vote No is 3-for-4, including a win in the Turfway Prevue on Jan. 6.

Fifth Season (listed), Oaklawn, 1 mile, 4-year-olds and up

Ginobili, last year’s winner, will make his first start since finishing eighth in the Razorback (G3) in February. Dash Attack was 2-for-10 last year, with a seventh-place finish last out in the Tenacious Stakes at Fair Grounds. Brigadier General was fourth in the Tenacious, which came after two allowance wins. He’s cross-entered in the Colonel E. R. Bradley Stakes at Fair Grounds.