Ring Weekend, Good Samaritan headline Louisiana Derby undercard

Pin Oak Stable’s Synchrony made a successful return to the races in last month’s Grade 3 Fair Grounds Handicap and will look for another victory over the Stall-Wilson Turf Course in Saturday’s Grade 2, $300,000 Muniz Memorial Handicap.

Trained by Mike Stidham, the son of Tapit’s victory in last month’s Fair Grounds Handicap was his first start since last May, where he finished second in the Grade 3 Red Bank Stakes at Monmouth Park. Synchrony started off his career with trainer Donnie Von Hemel for whom he raced on the main track. He was a two-time winner on dirt and was third in the Grade 3 Lexington Stakes in 2016 behind Collected. The following year, he moved to the care of Stidham, who switched him to the turf in his second start for the trainer. Since the surface change, Synchrony has never been worse than second in four starts. He is the lukewarm morning line favorite at 7-2 odds and will break from the rail under Joe Bravo.

If Synchrony wishes to add another graded stakes victory to his resume, he will have to successfully overcome  multiple shippers for the event, one of which is Gulfstream Park allowance winner Lucullan. Trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, the 4-year-old son of Hard Spun is in search of his first stakes victory. Two starts ago, he made his only attempt at graded stakes company when finishing second behind Yoshida in the Grade 3 Hill Prince Stakes. Like Synchrony, Lucullan also made started his career off on the main track. It was not until his third start that he would see the turf for the first time when he broke his maiden over the lawn at Belmont Park. He will be ridden by Hall of Fame jockey Gary Stevens at 8-1 morning line odds.

Also shipping from South Florida is Juddmonte Farms Inc.’s Forge, who most recently was second beaten a half-length behind World Approval in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Stakes. The 5-year-old son of Dubawi is out of Heat Haze, a four-time graded stakes winner. Forge started his career in his native Great Britain while racing for trainer Sir Michael Stoute and in 2017, transferred to the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott who has won previous editions of the Muniz Memorial with Amira’s Prince (2013) and Take The Stand (2015). In seven starts in the United States, Forge’s only win came over Churchill Downs’ Matt Winn Turf Course on Jun. 4. He breaks from post nine at 9-2 odds under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez.

West Point Thoroughbreds LLC’s Ring Weekend (post 11, 5-1, Jose Ortiz) boasts the highest bankroll of any other starter in the Muniz Memorial field having $1,559,844 in career earnings. The 7-year-old son of Tapit also is the only Grade 1 winner in the field of 10. In 2015, he scored a victory at such caliber in Santa Anita’s Frank E. Kilroe Mile. Trained by Graham Motion, he also is the winner of five other graded stakes races. He enters the Muniz Memorial Stakes off an allowance win over the Gulfstream Park turf, which was his first start since September, where he was third in the Grade 2 Baltimore/Washington International Turf Cup.

Trainer Brad Cox will send out a pair of graded stakes winners for the Muniz Memorial with Arklow (post four, 10-1, Javier Castellano) and Mr.Misunderstood (post  eight, 5-1, Florent Geroux). Owned by Donegal Racing and Joseph Bulger, Arklow won the Grade 2 American Turf Stakes at Churchill Downs as a 3-year-old which was his lone win against graded stakes company. Last time out, the 4-year-old son of Arch made his first start since August in an allowance race over the Stall-Wilson Turf Course last month where he closed from well off a slow pace to win by a nose. Stable mate Mr. Misunderstood has a solid resume on grass which consists of eight victories out of nine turf starts. Last time out, he suffered his first loss on turf when he fell to Synchrony in the Grade 3 Fair Grounds Handicap. Owned by Flurry Racing Stables LLC, his victories on turf include wins in Churchill Downs’ Grade 3 Commonwealth Turf Stakes and the Jefferson Cup as well as a victory in the Woodchopper Stakes two starts back. Before he became a multiple stakes winner, he gave jockey Florent Geroux his 1,000th  career win in December 2016 when running for a $30,000 tag. 

Zulu Alpha (post two, 30-1, Brian Hernandez, Jr.), Galton (post three, 20-1, Joel Rosario), Danish Dynaformer (post five, 8-1, Rafael Hernandez), One Mean Man (post seven, 30-1, Marcelino Pedroza), and Revved Up (post ten, 6-1, Shaun Bridgmohan) complete the field.

One race prior, multiple graded stakes winners The Player and Good Samaritan will face off in the Grade 2, $400,000 New Orleans Handicap, which kicks off a $200,000 guaranteed all-stakes Pick 4.

Breaking from the rail, The Player will be going for his third graded stakes triumph. Last time out, the son of Street Hero won the Grade 3 Mineshaft Handicap in wire-to-wire fashion by 4 ¼ lengths. In October of last year, he won the Grade 2 Fayette Stakes at Keeneland by three lengths. He is trained by William “Buff” Bradley, who will be going for his first New Orleans ‘Cap victory since Brass Hat in 2006. Hall of Fame jockey Calvin Borel will pilot The Player, the 9-5 morning line second choice. The Player is owned by Bradley in partnership with Carl Hurst.

The 8-5 morning line favorite is WinStar Farm LLC and China Horse Club’s Good Samaritan, who will be making his first start since the Grade 1 Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs on Nov. 24, when he was second beaten a half-length behind Seeking The Soul. The 4-year-old son of Harlan’s Holiday has two graded stakes wins, which took place on dirt and turf. As a 2-year-old, Good Samaritan won the Grade 2 Summer Stakes over the turf at Woodbine and last year won the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga, which was his first start on the main track. He boasts career earnings of $951,116. An at least second-place finish in the New Orleans Handicap would place him over the million dollar mark. He will break from post four under Joel Rosario, who has ridden Good Samaritan in all 10 career starts. 

Trainer Brendan Walsh and owner DARRS Inc. are looking for back-to-back wins in the New Orleans ‘Cap this year with Scuba (post three, 9-2, Florent Geroux) after taking last year’s edition with Honorable Duty. The 7-year-old son of Tapit is a multiple graded stakes winner having found most of his success in dirt marathon events such as the 2016 editions of the Grade 3 Greenwood Cup at Parx Racing and the Grade 2 Marathon Stakes at Santa Anita. His last victory came three starts ago in the Grade 3 Hawthorne Gold Cup at its namesake track back in November of last year. 

Hollywood Handsome (post two, Jose Ortiz, 15-1), Han Sense (post four, Rafael Hernandez, 12-1) and Leofric (post six, 9-2, Javier Castellano) round of the field.