Great Minds preps for Evangeline Mile

Great Minds, who was scratched from the Steve Sexton Mile at Lone Star, will turn up Saturday night at Evangeline Downs. He goes in an optional $30,000 claiming race that drew a field of 10 older horses, including Grande Basin, the winner of the Star Guitar Stakes last out at Fair Grounds; Mageez, the winner of the $65,000 B-Connected in December at Delta Downs, and Albano, a stakes winner and earner of more than $700,000.

Al Stall Jr., who trains Great Minds for Vince Wilfork, said that when the one-mile race at Evangeline came up as an extra, he decided to enter the horse. Great Minds had won last year’s Steve Sexton Mile when it was called the Texas Mile. The race at Evangeline enables him to stay home, said Stall. It also enabled him to avoid a clash with the razor-sharp Mor Spirit.

“We just didn’t want to make a good, long road trip against a horse that ran a 107 Beyer,” said Stall.

But the race Saturday night will also serve another purpose for Great Minds.

“That race sees him into the Evangeline Mile three weeks to the day later,” Stall said of the $100,000 stakes June 3.

Colby Hernandez has the mount from post 4 on Saturday.