Gold Appointment gets second chance switching to Prelude

Gold Appointment, who has been scratched from the West Virginia Derby, was en route to Louisiana Downs on Wednesday to be part of the field for the $100,000 Prelude. Entries for the 1 1/16-mile were taken Wednesday, and Gold Appointment drew post 2 in a field of seven. He is to be ridden by Miguel Mena.

The Prelude, which offers its winner a fees-paid berth into the Grade 2, $400,000 Super Derby on Sept. 6, is one of nine stakes on the 10-race card. It is for open company, while the other races are restricted to Louisiana-breds. Overall, the nine stakes are worth a cumulative $700,000.

Gold Appointment won the Crescent City Derby at Fair Grounds in March, and in more recent times dominated a second-level allowance sprint against older horses at Evangeline Downs on July 10. He was traveling to Louisiana Downs from West Virginia, and around mid-day Wednesday was rolling through Kentucky. Robert Rockwell, who owns and trains Gold Appointment, said the plan was to stop overnight in Tennessee, then complete the ship into Bossier City, La., on Thursday.

“We’re hoping to run in the Prelude,” he said. “We’re heading that way. We’ll see how the horse looks. It’s up to him.”

Rockwell said a very recent change in medication rules led the Mountaineer stewards to recommend he scratch Gold Appointment from the West Virginia Derby. Rockwell said the horse had been treated for a minor illness with antibiotics and clenbuterol in a timeframe that now falls inside the newly recommended clenbuterol withdrawal time of 14 days. Rockwell said he had shipped Gold Appointment to West Virginia hoping to get a line on him, as the field for Saturday has drawn such quality rivals as Candy Boy and Tapiture. But, he said the Prelude looks like a good test, too.

The complete field from the rail with riders is: F J Uncle Vic, Lindey Wade; Gold Appointment, Mena; Six Spot, Colby Hernandez; Alamo Heights, Richard Eramia; King Council, Donnie Meche; Ide Be Cool, Chris Rosier; and Louies Flower, Jamie Theriot.

Other highlights of the card include an appearance by Grade 2 winner Designer Legs in the $150,000 Elge Rasberry, a one-mile turf race for 3-year-old fillies bred in Louisiana. Also on the card, String King returns to stakes competition in the $75,000 Louisiana Cup Turf Classic.

First post is 2:50 p.m. Central.