Golden Yank seeks to back up stakes win

Horses who last raced in California, Florida, Kentucky, and Oklahoma have descended on Delta Downs in Vinton, La., for Friday night's $150,000 Jean Lafitte, a one-mile race for 2-year-olds that should produce starters for the Grade 3, $1 million Delta Jackpot.

The Jean Lafitte is one of two juvenile stakes on the card. Dreaming of Liz goes in the $100,000 My Trusty Cat, designed as a prep for the $300,000 Delta Princess. Both the Jackpot and Princess will share a card Dec. 7.

Harlans Fortune, third in a $40,000 starter at Santa Anita on Oct. 3, and Carson's Legacy, who won the $90,000 Birdonthewire at Calder on Oct. 13, are the speed of the Jean Lafitte. They are part of a 10-horse field that includes Mikimoto's Mojo, who last raced at Keeneland, and Golden Yank, who invades from Remington Park.

Golden Yank is the field's lone two-turn stakes winner, accomplished when he romped by 4 3/4 lengths in the $100,000 MEC Mile on Oct. 21. For the effort, he earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 81.

"I think he had something left in the tank," said Gary Thomas, who trains Golden Yank for Millard R. Seldin Revocable Trust. "He pulled away from those horses pretty good."

Golden Yank drew the rail Friday and will be ridden by Gerard Melancon.

"He's kind of push-button," Thomas said. "You kind of put him where you want to."

Carson's Legacy wired the field in the Birdonthewire at 5 1/2 furlongs, earning a Beyer of 96.

"He just recently moved into the barn," said Steve Asmussen, who trains Carson's Legacy for Padua Stable. "He's a fast horse."

Carson's Legacy was purchased following the Birdonthewire.

Gangbuster, a winner of 2 of 3 starts, is a closer who will benefit from a quick pace. Mikimoto's Mojo, winner of the $125,000 Lafayette at Evangeline, could be sitting on a strong race. A winner of the first two starts of his career, he ran in the Grade 1 Breeders' Futurity last out at Keeneland and finished 11th over a Polytrack surface he did not care for, trainer Pat Mouton said.

Dreaming of Liz heads My Trusty Cat

Dreaming of Liz, winner of the Grade 3 Arlington-Washington Lassie, is the one to beat in the My Trusty Cat, a seven-furlong race at two turns. The stakes will be her first start on conventional dirt after racing exclusively on Polytrack. Dreaming of Liz is out of the Grade 1-winning mare Silver Maiden.

"Her mama ran on the dirt, so we're hoping she brings her mama with her," said Wayne Catalano, who trains Dreaming of Liz.

Dreaming of Liz won her maiden and the Lassie at Arlington. In her most recent start, she was eighth as one of the top choices in the Grade 1 Alcibiades at Keeneland.

"The only thing I can say about the last race was the racetrack bias was not in her favor," Catalano said. "Speed and the rail was a deadly place to be, and we had both of them."

Dreaming of Liz has worked well at Churchill Downs since her last start. Catalano has given the mount to Shane Laviolette.

The chief threat could be Madonna Mia, who makes her two-turn debut off a runner-up finish in the $50,000 E.L. Gaylord at Remington.

"She stays on nicely, I think, for all her speed," Asmussen said. "She doesn't throw in the towel."