High North, Lone Sailor potential Super Derby starters

High North and Lone Sailor were part of a working list of six to eight potential starters for the Grade 3, $300,000 Super Derby as of Saturday, according to Louisiana Downs director of racing David Heitzmann. Entries for the Sept. 2 race are to be taken Monday.

The Super Derby is back on dirt after one year on turf. The race has been shortened to 1 1/16 miles after being run over 1 1/8 miles for its last main-track edition in 2016.

High North won the $250,000 Iowa Derby in July and trainer Brad Cox said earlier this week that Florent Geroux would have the mount in the Super Derby. High North worked Saturday at Churchill Downs, breezing a half-mile in 48.60 seconds.

Lone Sailor last ran July 29 and finished third in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational won by Good Magic. Tom Amoss trains Lone Sailor for G M B Racing. The horse worked five-eighths on Friday, going in 1:02 at Churchill.

Heitzmann said other potential starters for the Super Derby include Autumn Warrior, G’s Turn, McFeely and Bode’s Maker, who finished a respective first, second, fourth, and fifth in the local prep, the $60,000 Prelude on Aug. 4 at Louisiana Downs. The undefeated Autumn Warrior rallied for a neck win under Colby Hernandez, and trainer Al Stall Jr. said Hernandez has the mount in the Super Derby. Autumn Warrior worked Saturday at Louisiana Downs, going a half-mile in 48.60 seconds.

Heitzmann also hopes the Super Derby will draw starters from trainer Steve Asmussen, whose nominees include Lionite, the third-place finisher in the Iowa Derby, and trainer Dale Romans, who nominated eight horses to the Super Derby.

Heitzmann said the Super Derby will be carded as the 11th race on a 13-race program that starts at noon Central. The race is on the lone Sunday card of the meet and, due to the additional weekend date, there will be no racing Wednesday at Louisiana Downs.

The Super Derby will be supported by six other stakes and entries for those races – all on the grass, each worth $60,000 – also are being taken Monday. There will be an all-stakes pick four on the card, Heitzmann said.