Class Leader looks ready to fire

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Days afterward, Neil Howard was still accepting congratulations from friends and colleagues on winning the Louisville Handicap at Churchill Downs. Howard sent out Xtra Luck to win the Grade 3 turf race Saturday, and he sure wouldn’t mind keeping a hot hand when a four-day week kicks off with a Thursday program.

Howard will saddle Class Leader in the first of two allowances on an eight-race card which begins at 5 p.m. Eastern. Class Leader, winner of the 2014 Sir Barton Stakes at Pimlico last year, will have Jimmy Graham aboard when he breaks from post 1 in a field of just five older horses in the third race, a $56,000 third-level allowance at 1 1/16 miles.

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Howard said he was pleased with Class Leader’s last start, a third in a similar race at Keeneland.

“These kinds of races haven’t really been filling, so I’m glad to find a spot like this,” he said.

It’s a well-matched field, with all five starters listed between 2-1 and 4-1 on the morning line.

Post time for the feature is 6:01, with the eighth and last race set for 8:39.

KEY CONTENDERS

Class Leader (Last 3 Beyers: 98-85-95)

◗ Solid allowance efforts sandwiched around an okay performance in a graded race at Fair Grounds this winter should have his fitness level close to where Howard would prefer.

“We’ve had high hopes all along for this horse,” Howard said. “After he won at Pimlico, he got sick, and it took him a long time to come back around. He’s past that now and our main thing has been finding a race for him.”

Street Strategy (Last 3 Beyers: 91-87-90)

◗ Back-to-back allowance triumphs at Oaklawn Park this winter were followed by a defeat in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap, so returning to these lower ranks and an inside draw with Calvin Borel staying put sure can’t hurt.

Ulanbator (Last 3 Beyers: 28-90-94)

◗ Trained by Ian Wilkes, he was beaten more than 26 lengths in a turf experiment last out. Rebounding with one of his better races would make him a threat here.

Russellin (Last 3 Beyers: 85-96-95)

◗ Like Street Strategy, he exits the Oaklawn Handicap after knocking out an allowance race. He is trained by Chris Hartman, who topped the standings at Oaklawn and is having a solid meet here this spring.