Call Me Midnight still on track for Louisiana Derby

Call Me Midnight didn’t work this past weekend at Fair Grounds but remains on target for the $1 million Louisiana Derby on March 26.

Call Me Midnight rallied from 12 lengths back into a hot, contested pace and nipped Epicenter at the wire of the Lecomte Stakes on Jan. 22 at Fair Grounds, but while Call Me Midnight benefited from the race dynamics, Epicenter’s facile Risen Star Stakes win last Saturday did flatter him.

Keith Desormeaux, who trains Call Me Midnight for Peter Cantrell, contemplated bringing Call Me Midnight back for the Risen Star and worked him on Feb. 5 and Feb. 12, but after deciding to pass the Risen Star, Desormeaux saw no reason to work last weekend.

:: KENTUCKY DERBY 2022: Derby Watch, point standings, prep schedule, news, and more

“He’s all good, just gave him the weekend off and he’s back working again next week,” Desormeaux said. “It’s kind of boring with him right now: Same old stuff, good weight, happy. That’s why I said before it was a tough decision to pass the Risen Star.”

Call Me Midnight still needs qualifying points (he has 10) to be assured of a starting spot in the Kentucky Derby, and Desormeaux, after watching Epicenter control the Risen Star pace and win easily, wonders how the Louisiana Derby might shake out.

“What are we going to do if Epicenter is lone speed again?” he said.

That’s a problem for next month, and Call Me Midnight realistically needs only a third-place finish in the Louisiana Derby, worth 20 points, to be in good shape regarding Derby qualification.