Apart takes Prelude; will head to Super Derby

Apart is headed to the Super Derby after overcoming a troubled trip to win his stakes debut Saturday in the $100,000 Prelude at Louisiana Downs.

He stumbled badly at the start of the mile and a sixteenth race, was hung well wide in both the first turn and second, then ran down 4-5 favorite Coyote Legend for a length and three-quarter win.

“Nobody could have been happy with the trip at any point until the end,” said Al Stall Jr., who trains Apart for Adele Dilschneider.

The Prelude was the local prep for the Super Derby, a Grade 2, $500,000 race that serves as the centerpiece of the meet. It will be run on Sept. 25 as part of an eight-stakes card, with preps for most of those races having been held Saturday. In all, Louisiana Downs ran six stakes on the Prelude program, with purses for the races totaling $350,000.

Apart ($10.20) came into the Prelude off a fourth-place finish in a first-level allowance at Churchill Downs on July 4. He was fourth in the early stages, with Coyote Legend leading a bunched field through fractions of 24.40 seconds for the opening quarter, 48.43 for the half-mile, and 1:13.10 for six furlongs. Apart made a four-wide bid around the final turn as Coyote Legend led the field into the stretch, then caught the pacesetter late to win on a fast track in 1:44.71.

“We’re going for the Super Derby, no doubt,” Stall said. “It makes sense. That’s why we went down there.”

Apart, who was ridden by Jesse Campbell, earned $60,000 for his win as well as a fees-paid berth into the Super Derby. The berth is worth as much as $8,500 as it covers the $1,000 nomination fee to the race if not already made, the $3,750 fee to enter and the $3,750 fee to start. Apart has now won 2 of 5 starts and $102,546. He is a son of the A.P. Indy stallion Flatter.

Down With Dixie was boxed in for much of the Prelude and finished third, 3 1/2 lengths behind Coyote Legend.
Stall had another stakes winner on the card Saturday when Kissimmee Kyle ($11.20) fended off Wildrally by a neck to defeat fellow Louisiana-breds at a mile on turf in the $50,000 John Franks Memorial. Richard Eramia rode the winner for Red Oak Stable.

Streaks remain in tact

Category Seven and Aces N Kings each won their fifth straight races, with Category Seven overcoming trouble to catch Mogumbo Cat in the $50,000 Shiskabob, and the 2-year-old Aces N Kings getting two turns in his first attempt in the $50,000 Sunny’s Halo.

Both races were at a mile on firm turf.

Category Seven ($4.60) raced towards the back of the pack in the early stages, was forced to steady sharply in the stretch, and re-rallied to defeat males by three-quarters of a length. She covered the distance in 1:36.60, with Eramia aboard for trainer Kenneth Hargrave.

Category Seven’s win streak, which began in May, includes two other stakes wins, the $50,000 Top Corsage at Louisiana Downs and the $50,000 Matron at Evangeline. She races for James Perron.

The undefeated Aces N Kings ($3.80) pulled away by six and a quarter lengths in the Sunny’s Halo. He was content to track the pace in second, moved even with leader Prince William B at the three-eighths pole, then overtook that one into the stretch and went on, covering the distance in 1:38.85.

Eguard Tejera was aboard for Caroline Dodwell and trainer H.B. Johnson Jr. The win was the third career stakes victory for Aces N Kings, who is a son of Jet Phone.

* Tiger Girl ($34) took it to the field early, held on late, and withstood a jockey’s objection to win the $50,000 Donnie Wilhite Memorial by a nose. She drifted in the stretch, and after the race a claim of foul was made by the rider of runner-up Patty’s Pride. Tiger Girl covered the mile on turf for 2-year-old fillies in 1:38.51. Don Simington was aboard for Israel Flores and trainer Tony Richey.

* Simington also guided Vickies In Town ($4.40) to her second stakes win of the meet in the $50,000 Honeymoon for statebred fillies and mares. She rallied for a length and a quarter win over Skipping Town, to cover the mile on turf in 1:36.60. Ray Spencer owns and trains Vickies In Town, who in May won the $50,000 Louisiana Cup Distaff.