Former petroleum engineer hopes to strike twice in Louisiana Cup

Kirk Harris has traveled down a different path than most who retire from the petroleum engineering field. He decided to train racehorses and in July won his first two stakes in that role with Sir Genghis and P Boo. Both horses will be back in action for the first time since then on Saturday in separate Louisiana Cup races at Louisiana Downs.

The Louisiana Cup features six divisional stakes for Louisiana-breds, each worth $50,000. The races will share a card with three open-company stakes, making for an all-stakes program worth $460,000. The feature is the $60,000 Prelude, the local prep for the Super Derby. The $50,000 John Henry and $50,000 Opelousas are turf stakes that have been moved from Evangeline Downs. The program starts at 3:15 p.m. Central.

Sir Genghis won the $100,000 Louisiana Legends Classic on July 8 at Evangeline, the same night P Boo captured the $100,000 Soiree. It was a career highlight for Harris, an established owner whose first win as a trainer came on Jan. 21 at Delta Downs. He and his wife, Gillian, own a training center in Folsom, La.

“I retired last year,” said Kirk Harris, whose first start as a trainer came in December. “I’m a petroleum engineer. I still do consulting.”

Sir Genghis goes in the Turf Classic for 3-year-olds and up, and P Boo has been cross-entered in the Distaff and the Opelousas. Harris said he and co-owner Robert Lestz are discussing which direction to take with P Boo, a decision that could be made as late as Saturday. Sir Genghis, meanwhile, will be making a rare appearance on grass for the Harrises, who claimed him in March 2016.

“When we claimed him, he had actually run some of his best races on the turf,” Harris said. “We feel comfortable with him running on the turf.”

Sir Genghis won the third dirt stakes of his career in the Louisiana Legends Classic. He set the pace and won by a head going the same 1 1/16-mile distance of the Louisiana Cup Turf Classic.

“He’s all heart,” Harris said. “He gutted it out the last sixteenth. The only thing with him, I think he’s better at a mile. He has to really use everything he’s got that last sixteenth when he’s going a little longer.”

Sir Genghis will break from post 2 under regular rider Kerwin Clark.

“I love the fact that he’s drawn inside,” said Harris.

Among the main opponents for Sir Genghis is Trust Factor, the winner of the Louisiana Legends Turf on July 17 at Louisiana Downs.

The Louisiana Cup Turf Classic drew 14, but the field will be limited to 12.

Mr. Al’s Gal goes for 6 in row

The 3-year-old filly Mr. Al’s Gal will be seeking her sixth consecutive win when she squares off with the multiple-stakes-winning mare Look Into My Eyes in the Filly and Mare Sprint.

Mr. Al’s Gal is a four-time stakes winner who defeated older rivals in a turf sprint at five furlongs June 27 at Louisiana Downs. Richard Eramia, who rides her for the sixth straight time on Saturday, said he likes the added distance Mr. Al’s Gal will pick up with the move to six furlongs.

Look Into My Eyes won the Louisiana Legends Mademoiselle at Evangeline in her last start July 8. She earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 89 in her first out since December.

“She ran a very good race,” said trainer Efren Loza Jr. “Her Beyer was the best Beyer she ever ran. I think if she can repeat the performance, she will be very tough in the race.”

Dozen clash in Distaff

The Distaff, at 1 1/16 miles on grass, will have 12 starters, including Inveniam Viam, who will be looking for her fifth straight win while moving back into the statebred ranks following a stakes win at Ellis Park.

Inveniam Viam faces Safari Calamari, who was edged by a nose last out when facing open company in an off-the-turf optional claimer at Louisiana Downs.

“It surprised me last time she ran that good on the main track,” said Eramia, Safari Calamari’s jockey. “She’s a lot better on the turf.”

◗ Jockamo’s Song will be seeking his second straight stakes win when he takes on 13 others in the Sprint. He defeated 11 rivals last out in the Louisiana Legends Sprint. Gerard Melancon has the mount for trainer Michael Stidham.

◗ Aceguitar is the horse to beat in the Juvenile, a six-furlong race that opens the all-stakes card. He was an 8 3/4-length debut winner June 24, then came back and ran second to the Saratoga-bound Galactica in a $100,000 division of the Texas Thoroughbred Futurity at Lone Star Park.

◗ Girls Life was scratched from her 5 1/2-furlong division of the D.S. “Shine” Young Futurity last weekend at Evangeline in favor of the six-furlong Juvenile Fillies, said trainer Karl Broberg. She’screative, who won the Shine Young, also is entered but may instead wait for the $50,000 Evangeline Downs Princess on Sept. 2.

◗ The Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association will award a pair of $1,000 college scholarships in a drawing Saturday.