Great Minds is rapidly developing into a dirt miler of note. He is unbeaten at that distance and on Saturday night will attempt to win his fourth consecutive one-mile race in the $100,000 Evangeline Mile. The race serves as the centerpiece of the Evangeline Downs meet in Opelousas, La. It will be supported by two other stakes, the $60,000 Need For Speed and the $70,000 Lafayette. Great Minds figures to start as a strong favorite with The Pickett Factor, his chief rival in the five-horse field, making his first start since March. Great Minds last raced May 6, winning the Grade 3, $200,000 Texas Mile at Lone Star Park with a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 96. The other wins in his streak have come at Delta Downs in an allowance in February and the $75,000 Borgata, a restricted stakes, in March. “He’s not just making baby steps forward, he’s made giant steps forward his last three outs, which have been two-turn flat miles,” trainer Al Stall Jr. said. “We’re going to do exactly what’s working. His form is great. His numbers are great. Everything has just clicked for him.” Great Minds overall is 4 for 4 at one mile on dirt, with his other win at the trip coming in an off-the-turf maiden special weight in February 2015 at Fair Grounds. Following his win in the Texas Mile, he was made one of the highweights for the Lone Star Park Handicap at 1 1/16 miles May 30. But the horse skipped the race because the Evangeline Mile was a better fit for a number of reasons besides distance, Stall said. “I didn’t want to ship him back and forth another time all the way from Opelousas,” Stall said. “I wanted to keep him in his stall, walk him out the backdoor, give him an extra week.” C.J. McMahon will invade from Lone Star for the mount for owner Vince Wilfork. Great Minds will start from post 2. The Pickett Factor will break from post 3. The multiple stakes winner is returning to such ranks after a fifth-place finish in an optional $50,000 claiming race at Oaklawn won by a Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner in Regally Ready. The Pickett Factor has prepped for his return at Louisiana Downs and on May 14 worked a bullet five-eighths in 1:00.60. Luis Quinonez has the mount for Melissa Cantacuzene and trainer Ralph Irwin. Others set to start are Aces High, who was fourth in the Texas Mile; Fear the Cowboy, who was second in the Borgata; and Grit, a winner at the distance at this meet. ◗ Couche Couche will meet older horses for the first time when he attempts to win his fourth consecutive race in the Need For Speed. Couche Couche is moving back to turf and cutting back to one turn for the five-eighths race, and he was a turf-sprint winner in February at Fair Grounds. ◗ Extra Credit invades from Churchill for the Lafayette, a seven-furlong race for 3-year-old Louisiana-breds who have never won a stakes. He was second in the $75,000 Crescent City Derby in his last start March 26 at Fair Grounds. Since then, Extra Credit shows some strong works at Churchill.