Phat Man back on turf for Super Derby

Owner Brad Grady and trainer Joe Sharp already have had a memorable year of racing, led by the exploits of Girvin. Phat Man can add to the fun on Saturday. He is headed to Louisiana Downs for the $200,000 Super Derby, where he will start as one of the leading contenders on the strength of his high-percentage connections and a recent stakes win at Monmouth Park.

Phat Man won the $100,000 Long Branch at the 1 1/16-mile distance of the Super Derby in July at Monmouth. He will be moving back to turf for the Super Derby, which is being run on grass for the first time.

Phat Man has run three times on grass, with his best finish a second in a $30,000 starter allowance on grass in March at Fair Grounds.

“His mother, Nicole’s Dream, was a Grade 2 winner on the grass, so we’ve tried him on the grass before,” Sharp said. “He ran well at the Fair Grounds.”

Phat Man will be shipping in from Kentucky for the Super Derby. Roberto Morales has the mount from post 6 in a field of six. The complete field, from the rail and with riders: Fast Talkin Man, Luis Quinonez; Gorgeous Kitten, Colby Hernandez; Flying Honeypot, Carlos L. Marquez; Mr. Misunderstood, Chris Rosier; Sonneteer, Gerard Melancon; and Phat Man, Morales.

Girvin won the Risen Star and Louisiana Derby this year and gave Grady and Sharp their first Grade 1 victory in July in the Haskell Invitational. Sharp said Girvin could be headed next to the Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park.

The Super Derby will be supported by six other stakes, all on the grass.

Trainer Brad Cox has entered seven horses in five of those stakes, chief among them Mr. Misunderstood in the Super Derby. The horse won the local prep, the Prelude, to earn a fees-paid berth in the Super Derby.

Cox said the barn’s Louisiana Downs starters were to ship Wednesday night and arrive Thursday morning in Bossier City, La. He said all but Snack Shack, who goes in the $50,000 Tellike, will be coming in from Churchill Downs. Snack Shack is based in Indiana.