Blinkers, change of scenery should perk up Royal by Nature in Prelude Stakes

Royal by Nature will be returning to the site of his most significant victory on Saturday, when he invades from Kentucky for the $60,000 Prelude Stakes at Louisiana Downs. The race serves as the local prep for the $200,000 Super Derby on Sept. 9.

The Prelude, for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles, will be run on turf this year because the Super Derby has been moved to the grass. The winner Saturday receives a fees-paid berth in the Super Derby, a perk worth $2,000, according to Louisiana Downs racing secretary David Heitzmann.

Royal by Nature is part of an eight-horse Prelude field. The race is part of a nine-race, all-stakes card that starts at 3:15 p.m. Central. The open-company races are the Prelude, the $50,000 John Henry, and the $50,000 Opelousas, while the six remaining stakes are statebred races making up the annual Louisiana Cup program.

Royal by Nature won last year’s $75,000 Sunday Silence on the undercard of the Super Derby, then ran fourth in the Grade 3 Bourbon at Keeneland and second in the $100,000 Awad at Belmont Park. In May, he was third in a Churchill allowance won by Sonic Boom, the next-out winner of the Grade 3 American Derby at Arlington. He enters the Prelude off a third-place finish in an optional $100,000 claiming race on June 30 at Churchill and will add blinkers for the first time Saturday.

“He ran a good race last time,” said Brad Cox, who trains Royal by Nature for Abdullah Saeed Almaddah. “We’re putting blinkers on to kind of get him a little more involved out of the gate, keep him forwardly placed.

“He should run well.”

Richard Eramia has the mount.

Cox also will send out Mr. Misunderstood, a winner of 4 of 8 starts who finished an uncharacteristic seventh in the Grade 3 Illinois Derby in his most recent start April 22.

“He didn’t take to the dirt track at Hawthorne,” Cox said. “We gave him a little freshener, and he’s been back training a month and a half, two months. He’s undefeated on grass, so he’s back to his preferred surface.”

Chris Rosier has the mount for Flurry Racing Stables.

Jilotepec will be testing his skills on turf for the first time after starting his career with a pair of two-turn wins at Delta Downs and a stakes placing at one turn at Evangeline Downs in his most recent start April 15. Jilotepec showed speed in those races and worked a bullet five-eighths in 1:00.20 in his final drill for Saturday.

“I think he’ll go to the lead first time on the grass,” said trainer Efren Loza Jr. “He’s been breezing very well.”

Colby Hernandez has the mount on Jilotepec, a son of Into Mischief.

Fast Talkin Man defeated older rivals in a Lone Star turf allowance May 13.

Big Changes, Ibaka in John Henry

Cox on Saturday also sends out Big Changes, who has the speed to keep the rail-drawn, front-running Ibaka in his sights in the John Henry, a 1 1/16-mile turf race for 3-year-olds and up.

“He lays close to the lead,” Cox said of Big Changes. “He doesn’t have to be on it. Laying close is probably his best style.”

The field of nine also includes Rocket Time, a stakes winner making his first start on grass, and Fort Pulaski, who is cross-entered in the $50,000 Louisiana Cup Turf Classic.

Big Changes enters off a third-place finish in an optional $80,000 claiming race June 15, beaten a neck by 2016 Queen’s Plate winner Sir Dudley Digges. The start was the first since March for Big Changes.

“We had a little time off after Oaklawn,” said Cox, who trains the horse for Steve Landers. “He had the one start at Oaklawn, and we got him back on the grass.”

Ibaka, trained by Bret Calhoun, won an optional $35,000 claiming race at a mile on turf July 8 at Lone Star in his first out since December.

◗ Cox sends out Sister Blues and La Piba against the Calhoun-trained Artistic License in the Opelousas, a one-mile turf race for fillies and mares. The Opelousas and the John Henry were moved to Louisiana Downs because of the cancellation of turf racing this meet at Evangeline Downs.