Kentucky Derby prep: 3-for-3 Disco Time rallies, wins Lecomte

Overcoming a troubled start and a wide trip, Disco Time came flying late to run down Built and Innovator in the final strides of the Grade 3, $250,000 Lecomte Stakes on a wet Saturday at Fair Grounds. The Juddmonte homebred earned 20 points toward a spot in the starting gate in Kentucky Derby 2025.

In his first time stretching to two turns, the Brad Cox trainee ridden by Florent Géroux covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:47.07 over a sloppy, sealed main track. Winning by a neck, the son of Not This Time outfinished Gun Runner colt Built.

Click here for Fair Grounds entries and results. 

“I did think he would be a little bit closer, but it looked like he was traveling well enough, and there was a two- or three-length gap between him and the horses in front of him, so I was hoping he would stay clean and on the outside.” Cox said. “Florent did a good job of not pushing the button and overreacting, and the horse finished up well. An easier trip wouldn’t have been as taxing on him. When they’re able to sit and maybe run the last three-eighths of a mile as opposed to breaking on top and running the entire way.”

Breaking from post 10 in the field of 13, Disco Time bumped with rivals on either side of him and scrambled for inside position near the back of the pack. Innovator broke sharply from the rail and secured the lead through honest, opening fractions of 23.68 and 47.91 seconds. Golden Afternoon stalked in second along the rail with Built tracking in fourth to the leaders outside.

Settling in 10th through the first half-mile, Disco Time began to pick it up in the second turn. He circled the field and was floated out at the top of the stretch. As Built made his move on Innovator, and Golden Afternoon began to flatten, Disco Time came rolling down the center of the track to get up in time over Built.

“That wasn’t the way we drew it up before the race, but he broke OK, and from there I saw a lot of horses going at it, so I just tucked in,” Géroux said. “I was able to save a lot of going into the first turn, which was important given the tough post we had. From there he relaxed beautifully for me and took the kickback very well. I didn’t feel like I was behind horses who were traveling great and felt like they were going to back up at me. I just took my time and made sure I was going to time it right. When he was ready, I just tipped him all the way outside and made a nice, long run down the lane.

“I’m very pleased with the horse. I feel like I gave some ground to the runner-up (Built) who had a little bit of a better trip than mine, but my horse was able to overcome it. He proved he was the best horse today.”

Trained by New Orleans native Wayne Catalano, second-place Built doubled his Derby qualifying points to 20.

“We got a really good trip,” Built’s jockey Jareth Loveberry said. “He just didn’t quite handle the (wet) track as well. He just kept fighting through the mud, fighting through the mud. To run a second like that given the way he handled the track, he ran a good race, even in defeat.”

Innovator stayed on for third, securing his first six points toward the Derby.

“If he can learn to relax more at the beginning, they won’t be able to get him,” Innovator’s rider Jaime Torres said. “I could have had a ton of horse at the end if he would have relaxed. I don't think getting the distance is a problem at all. It was just his first time going two turns. The horse was taking me all of the way. I took him off the rail after the first turn and was able to get him to relax. But I heard someone coming on the inside, so I took him back to the rail, and he grabbed the bit again. I started getting on him as a 2-year-old, but he’s a different horse now, so strong. I jogged him two miles yesterday, and my arms are still burning.”

Golden Afternoon ran fourth for four qualifying points for his new trainer Nick Vaccarezza, 25, who took over the stable from his father Carlo Vaccarezza.

“It was a good race. I’m proud of him,” Nick Vaccarezza said. “He was kind of even at the end. We’ll never know how it would have been with a fast track. I think maybe the grass will be his best surface, possibly targeting the American Derby.” That race will be run in June at Churchill Downs.

Beating out Magnitude for fifth, Maximum Promise rallied late to earn two points in his first start since breaking his maiden during the summer at Ellis Park.

Sent off as the 9-5 favorite, Disco Time paid $5.80, $3.80, and $3.20.

Keeping his perfect record intact, Disco Time’s third victory brought his career earnings to $291,960.

Along with Instant Coffee’s heroics in 2023, Cox has won two Lecomte Stakes. Now he is looking ahead to the 1 1/8-mile Risen Star (G2) on Feb. 15. It offers 50-25-15-10-5 qualifying points, making it a virtual win-and-you’re-in springboard to the Derby.

“For this horse and this point of his career, I thought it was a great steppingstone,” Cox said. “The Risen Star in February at nine furlongs is the kind of race that can propel your forward.”