Big Changes has momentum heading into Unbridled

It’s been a good year for Big Changes.

He’s won all three of his starts – including a pair of stakes – and on Sunday will attempt to keep rolling in the $60,000 Unbridled on the Super Derby undercard at Louisiana Downs.

The Unbridled is one of six turf stakes supporting the Grade 3, $300,000 Super Derby on a 13-race card that starts at 12 p.m. Central. Purses for the seven stakes total $660,000 to make for the richest day of the meet. The local forecast calls for a high of 88 degrees and an 80 percent chance of scattered thunderstorms.

Big Changes is a winner on dirt and turf, and he’s built his current streak on the grass, starting with an allowance win his 6-year-old debut June 19 at Indiana Grand. He proceeded to capture the $50,000 John Henry at Evangeline Downs in July and the $75,000 West Virginia Speaker’s Cup in August at Mountaineer.

“He’s just stepped up every time this year,” said trainer Brad Cox. “He’s training well, looks amazing.”

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Big Changes will face 11 others in the 1 1/16-mile Unbridled, including Mocito Rojo, winner of the $100,000 Evangeline Mile in June, and Silent Citizen, winner of the $50,000 Stanton Stakes at Delaware Park.

Big Changes, who races for Steve Landers, will break from post 4 under Florent Geroux.

“Florent knows him, rode him last time,” said Cox. “He could get a stalking trip.”

Cox and Geroux also will be teaming together in the Super Derby with High North and in the $60,000 River Cities with Hachi. The River Cities is a 1 1/16-mile race for fillies and mares and it goes with 12.

Hachi has run second in stakes in her last two starts, beaten a neck in the Indiana General Assembly Distaff on July 14 at Indiana Grand and a nose in the West Virginia President’s Senate Cup on Aug. 4 at Mountaineer.

“I thought she won last time,” Cox said. “She got beat a nose. I couldn’t separate it by looking at it. Even the jock said he thought she won. She’s run really well.”

Hachi, owned by Don Alberto Stable, will break from post 7.

“She’s got speed,” Cox said. “She’ll be in the mix early on and hopefully carry her speed around there.”

Holiday’s Angel, who finished second in the $50,000 Opelousas in July at Evangeline, is moving back to the 1 1/16-mile distance of her last win. She is one of two stakes starters on the card for trainer Allen Milligan, who was at 989 wins through Thursday.

The $60,000 Happy Ticket and $60,000 Sunday Silence put the spotlight on 2-year-olds. Both races are at a mile, with the Happy Ticket the first stakes on the card as race 2 on Sunday.

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Noble Love will get good support if she starts following a maiden special weight win over 5 1/2 furlongs on turf Aug. 4 at Ellis Park. She’s also entered in a Saturday stakes at Kentucky Downs, and trainer Bret Calhoun has been monitoring weather forecasts and talking with owners Love Partnership Interests about which spot to target.

“She’s a pretty nice filly,” Calhoun said. “She ran a very gutty race last time. She showed quite a bit of speed and held on. It was a pretty game effort.”

The race went in a blazing 1:02.35.

The Happy Ticket would be the two-turn debut for Noble Love, and Calhoun said she gets good pedigree support for added ground. David Cabrera has the mount from post 5.

Taylor’s Spirit could go favored as a winner of both of her starts, taking a maiden special weight by 13 3/4 lengths July 8 at Prairie Meadows, then winning the track’s $65,000 Prairie Gold Lassie. She will be making both her two-turn and turf debut for sire Algorithms, a Grade 3 winner at a mile who is getting 10 percent winners from his first-time turf starters, according to statistics from Daily Racing Form.

The Sunday Silence drew one horse proven at a stakes level in Louisiana Cup Juvenile winner Cabo’s Rumor and one horse proven at two turns in local maiden special weight route winner Fredonian. The race will mark the turf debut for all eight starters Sunday.

The $60,000 A.L. “Red” Erwin for 3-year-olds bred in Louisiana will be run at a mile, and the field of 11 will drop to at least 10 as speed horse Charlie’s Schiller will instead run in the Super Derby, according to trainer Tommy Ives. The Erwin field includes a pair of Fair Grounds stakes winners in Battle At Sea and Greeley Went West, as well as Drewcitable, a winner of three of his last four starts in Louisiana.

“It’s a pretty tough race,” said Calhoun, who will counter with recent allowance winner General Tone.

The $60,000 Elge Rasberry, a mile race for 3-year-old fillies bred in Louisiana, drew 10.