Noble Indy guts out Louisiana Derby win over Lone Sailor

Betting favorite Noble Indy went head to head with sentimental favorite Lone Sailor in the stretch of Saturday’s Grade 2, $1 million Louisiana Derby, and only a neck separated them at the wire.

Their reward for a hard-fought 1 1/8 miles at Fair Grounds?

Both the winner (Noble Indy) and runner-up (Lone Sailor) should be moving on to the 2018 Kentucky Derby.

Trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by John Velazquez, Noble Indy stalked the pace, drew clear through the turn and managed to re-rally in deep stretch for the win.

His final time was 1:50.28 while donning blinkers for this race.

"The other horse passed him," Velazquez confirmed, saying Noble Indy didn't notice Lone Sailor go by. "He saw him, came back to him and put up a good fight."

Lone Sailor runs in the colors of G M B Racing, stable name for Gayle Benson. Her husband, Tom, owner of the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans, died last week at age 90.

There's a reason he, a 20-1 morning line shot, left the gate at 9-1 for trainer Tom Amoss. Lone Sailor validated his odds by looking like a winner until Noble Indy surged back in front.

Sweeping by contenders on the outside was Southwest Stakes (G3) winner My Boy Jack, who nearly made it to the front himself. He was a close third while picking up valuable points toward a spot in the Churchill Downs starting gate.

Louisiana-bred Givemaminit ran fourth in the field of 10.

Noble Indy chased 99-1 maiden Marmello through hot opening fractions of a quarter mile in 22.97 and the half in 46.61 before moving by entering the turn.

Velazquez said he had to use the son of Take Charge Indy a bit to establish that early position.

"I was trying to give him a little break on the back stretch," the jockey said. "He got a little keen on me and, obviously having the blinkers the first time, finally at about the half mile pole I put my hands down and decided not to fight him anymore.

"He had a nice run down the lane."

Pletcher, who won his fourth Louisiana Derby, also qualified Magnum Moon for the Kentucky Derby last week with a Rebel Stakes (G2) victory. He and Velazquez paired to win the 2017 Run for the Roses with Always Dreaming.

Noble Indy was third last out in Fair Grounds' Risen Star (G2), a race that marked his stakes debut. He was third, a bit boxed in, behind 1-2 finishers Bravazo and Snapper Sinclair.

"Won his first two starts really easily and then came here and got an education," said Elliot Walden, whose WinStar Farm campaigns Noble Indy along with Repole Stable. "Off the pace a little bit, took some dirt in his face, and was a real brat in the paddock that day.

"He grew up today. Just the experience of coming over here twice, I think, helped him."