Ide Like a Double to miss Super Derby

Ide Like a Double will miss the Grade 2, $500,000 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs on Sept. 20 with a minor physical setback, trainer B.J. Gilbert said Tuesday. The horse had been pointing for the 1 1/8-mile race since defeating older horses in track-record time in the $200,000 Evangeline Mile at Evangeline Downs on Aug. 16.

"He's got a nagging shin on him," Gilbert said. "We thought it's time to stop and heal that properly."

Gilbert said Ide Like a Double has had minor sur-gery, will swim as part of his rehab while based at Evangeline Downs Training Center in Lafayette, and then will point for the $150,000 Louisiana Champions Day Classic at Fair Grounds on Dec. 13.

"That's kind of the timetable we're on with him if everything goes according to plan," Gilbert said. "It's not a major thing, just something that needed to be cleaned up."

Ide Like a Double won the Evangeline Mile in a time of 1:36.28, lowering the track record Costa Rising set in the race in 2007, when he won in 1:36.51. Ide Like a Double earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 102 in the Evangeline Mile.

He races for John Valene and his son Murray, who were the leading owners at the Evangeline Downs meet that closed in late August. Ide Like a Double was the horse of the meet. Gilbert, a private trainer for the Valenes since 1992, has won four stakes with Ide Like a Double. Overall, the horse is 6 for 12 with earnings of $318,411. His regular rider is Kerwin Clark.

Mikimoto's Mojo makes return

Mikimoto's Mojo, an impressive debut winner last year at Louisiana Downs who went on to win the $125,000 Lafayette at Evangeline, makes his comeback in the featured eighth race Thursday. The 6 1/2-furlong allowance for 3-year-olds and up who have never won three races drew a field of eight. It will be Mikimoto's Mojo's first start since finishing fifth in the $100,000 Sugar Bowl at Fair Grounds on Dec. 22.

"We're taking our time with him, trying to bring him back in the proper fashion," said Pat Mouton, who trains Mikimoto's Mojo for Stan Seelig. "He didn't have any serious problems. He had a few issues we had to deal with, had to take care of them, and now we're looking forward to having him run again."

Mikimoto's Mojo has worked consecutive bullets in his final two preps for his comeback, going six furlongs in 1:16 on Aug. 23 and a half-mile in 47 seconds on Aug. 30.

"I think he's fit enough for this, and he fits the conditions quite well," Mouton said.

John Jacinto has the mount on Mikimoto's Mojo, who is a 3-year-old son of Hold That Tiger.

313 yearlings cataloged for sale

The Breeders Sales Co. of Louisiana has cataloged 313 horses to its annual yearling sale, which will be held at the Ike Hamilton Expo Center in West Monroe, La., on Sept. 29. The sale is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m.

Among the stallions represented with offspring are Afternoon Deelites, Burning Roma, Champali, City Zip, Eugene's Third Son, Evansville, Slew, Harlan's Holiday, Ide, Leestown, Pollard's Vision, Posse, Powerscourt, and Ten Most Wanted.

Consignors include Brehon Farm, Patricia Clark, Clear Creek Stud, Ricky Courville, Elite Thorough-breds/Summerhill Farm, and Don Stemmans.

The Breeders Sales Co. is a subsidiary of the Louisiana Thorough-bred Breeders Association.

Career race for Lee's Spirit

Lee's Spirit earned a career-best Beyer of 93 for his strong win last Saturday in the $150,000 A.L. "Red" Erwin at Louisiana Downs, and on Tuesday trainer Bob Schultz was beginning to look into his next-race options for the horse. He said he will watch how he trains the next week and could point him to the $50,000 Chick Lang Jr. Memorial for 3-year-olds at 7 1/2 furlongs on turf at Retama on Sept. 20.

"I'm thinking of running him there, then laying him off until Champions Day in New Orleans," he said.

Schultz said Lee's Spirit is a candidate for the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Turf at Fair Grounds on Dec. 13.

Stakes plans for Bertsgoldenmissile

Bertsgoldenmissile, who was a dominating 4 1/2-length winner of an allowance for 2-year-olds last week, could return to stakes competition for his next start, trainer Jorge Lara said.

"The last day of the meet at Louisiana Downs there is a stakes for him going seven furlongs," Lara said. "We're going to give him a little bit of a break and look at that."

The $50,000 Gate Dancer will be run Oct. 18. Earlier this meet, Bertsgoldenmissile, who is stakes-placed, won a maiden special weight with a Beyer of 80.

* Sister Ticket, a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Happy Ticket, makes her first start against winners Thursday in the ninth race, a first-level allowance sprint for fillies and mares bred in Louisiana.