California-Based Hot Rod Charlie Getting Revved Up For Louisiana Derby Sponsored by:
Hot Rod Charlie, shown training for last year s Breeders Cup Juvenile at Keeneland
If Doug O Neill shows up in the Big Easy, you better take notice. The two-time Kentucky Derby winning trainer has invaded Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots for some major wins over the past decade and he ll try to do it again from his Santa Anita base in the March 20 TwinSpires Louisiana Derby (G2), when he sends Hot Rod Charlie in as a legitimate contender for the meet s centerpiece race.
The $1 million Louisiana Derby, run at 1 3/16 miles, offers 170 qualifying points for the May 1 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve, on a 100-40-20-10 scale. First post for the March 20th program, which features seven other stakes including the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2), will be at 11:20 a.m. CT.
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Mandaloun wins an allowance race at Churchill Downs on Nov. 28
The calendar has turned. The distances have increased. An extra turn has been added. The acid test beckons. Eleven 3-year-olds including the undefeated Mandaloun will assemble for Saturday s Grade 3 Lecomte at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in the hopes of proving their mettle not only locally, but on the national scene as well, as thoughts turn to the first Saturday in May and the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve.
The sorting out process begins in the 1 1/16-mile Lecomte, which will offer 17 qualifying points for the Derby (10-4-2-1), and should prove a key stepping-stone to the local March 20 TwinSpires Louisiana Derby (G2) as well.