Alamo Heights ends Ide Be Cool's perfect record in Prelude

Alamo Heights is headed to next month’s Grade 2, $400,000 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs after he won the track’s prep by 1 1/4 lengths over the previously undefeated Ide Be Cool. It was another half-length back in third to Louies Flower.

The Prelude, for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles, was one of nine stakes on a card worth more than $700,000. The other races were restricted to statebreds and made up the annual Louisiana Cup Day.

Alamo Heights ($30.20) had one horse beat in the early stages of the Prelude as Ide Be Cool was pressed by Gold Appointment through fractions of 24.02 seconds for the opening quarter, 47.32 for the half-mile, and 1:12.47 for six furlongs. Ide Be Cool shook his pace rival in the stretch, but Alamo Heights, who had ridden the rail around the final turn and then angled out in the stretch, rallied to catch the leader.

“I was very pleased with the performance,” said Danny Pish, who trains Alamo Heights. “We just beat a horse that was 7 for 7, undefeated, so how can you not be proud of your horse?”

Richard Eramia rode Alamo Heights, his third stakes winner of the day. The horse covered the distance in 1:47.12, on a track that earlier on the card was upgraded to fast. With the win, Alamo Heights earned a fees-paid berth into the Super Derby on Sept. 6.

“He will stay right here at Shreveport and start prepping for the Super Derby,” said Pish.

Pish trains Alamo Heights for the partnership of SMR Investments and Bebe Barden. Alamo Heights is a son of Dunkirk who was bred in Kentucky by SMR Investments. He was returning to this region after running fourth in the $75,000 English Channel on turf at Gulfstream Park. Alamo Heights earned $60,000 for the win. It was his third career victory from six outs, with his first win coming in a $30,000 maiden claimer at Fair Grounds in March.

Ide Be Cool fought on in the stretch in his first start against open company, edging Louies Flower in a photo for second. Following the start, Ide Be Cool was found to have sustained a hoof injury.

“He caught a quarter coming out of the gate,” said Ray Dunn, who owns and trains Ide Be Cool. “It’s pretty good. It looks like he’s going to be on the shelf for a couple of weeks.

“I thought he ran a super race.”

Ide Be Cool is the reigning Louisiana-bred horse of the year. He is based at Louisiana Downs.