Givemeaminit joins cast for Louisiana Derby

Add Givemeaminit’s name to the list of horses who were likely to be entered Saturday for the March 24 Louisiana Derby, trainer Dallas Stewart said Friday.

Givemeaminit was third, beaten a neck, in the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes last summer and fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile last fall. Stewart added blinkers for a romping Louisiana-bred maiden win in which Givemeaminit kept up with a solid sprint pace, but the Star Guitar colt had no speed in the Feb. 17 Risen Star Stakes and finished eighth in a race where almost no passing took place.

“We’d like to change tactics up a little bit,” Stewart said. “He’s been training really good. His previous race I can’t really understand.”

A field of nine or 10 is likely for the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby, according to Fair Grounds racing officials, who also believe the number of fillies entering the Fair Grounds Oaks the same day has increased from recent days.

Also on the March 24 card, the Mervin Muniz Handicap at nine furlongs on turf is coming up a strong race. The Kiaran McLaughlin-trained 4-year-old Lucullan is expected to join Forge, Ring Weekend, Revved Up, and Danish Dynaformer as part of a strong Florida-based contingent. Synchrony is the race’s leading local.

◗ There are plenty of conditioned claimers but no allowance races on Sunday’s eight-race program.

◗ Fair Grounds races Wednesdays starting next week for the last two weeks of its meet.