Kentucky Derby prep: Here's who's likely for Louisiana Derby

Instant Coffee will be the likely favorite for next weekend's Grade 2 Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds as he looks to sew up a berth in Kentucky Derby 2023.

The 1 3/16-mile race on Saturday, March 25, offers Kentucky Derby qualifying points on a 100-40-30-20-10 basis to the top five finishers. With 32 points already, Instant Coffee stands a good chance of being in the Churchill Downs gate even with a fifth-place finish.

Instant Coffee, trained by Brad Cox, earned his points with wins in the Lecomte (G3) and the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) plus a fourth-place finish in the Breeders' Futurity (G1). Overall, the son of Bolt d'Oro has a record of 4: 3-0-0.

He is best-priced in Las Vegas futures for the Kentucky Derby at 15-1.

Among other possible contenders listed by the Fair Grounds racing office, Sun Thunder is coming off a second-place finish in the Risen Star (G2). That effort and his fourth in the Southwest (G3) have given him 24 points in the Kentucky Derby standings.

He is trained by Kenny McPeek, who also is expected to enter Denington, fourth in the Lecomte and winner of an optional-claiming allowance last out at Fair Grounds. In that race, he won by a neck over Cagliostro, also expected in the Louisiana Derby.

Curly Jack, who disappointed in his 2023 debut when finishing eighth in the Risen Star, looks to return to form here. The Tom Amoss trainee closed out 2022 with a win in the Iroquois (G3), a fifth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and a second to Instant Coffee in the Kentucky Jockey Club.