Instilled Regard, Principe Guilherme clash in Lecomte Stakes

NEW ORLEANS – Jerry Hollendorfer said he has sent Instilled Regard from California to New Orleans for the Lecomte Stakes to see how the long Fair Grounds homestretch suits his talented 3-year-old. And sure, there’s something to that. A track called Churchill Downs, where they run a race called the Kentucky Derby, also has an unusually long stretch.

But you know what’s not at Fair Grounds? A certain silver-haired fellow Southern California-based trainer. Instilled Regard has run well in all four of his starts, and his three losses all have been to horses trained by Bob Baffert.

There’s no Baffert in the Lecomte, but trainer Steve Asmussen has a horse waiting here for Instilled Regard whom he is willing to term “a freak.” Principe Guilherme has started twice and won twice, humbling Churchill maidens over seven furlongs in his debut and then humiliating Fair Grounds first-level allowance horses in a two-turn race last month.

Instilled Regard and Principe Guilherme will capture the bulk of the attention and a major share of the betting when they line up at roughly 5:03 p.m. Central here Saturday in the Grade 3, $200,000 Lecomte. The race at one mile and 70 yards, the fifth of six stakes on a 13-race card starting at 1 p.m., is worth 17 Kentucky Derby qualifying points distributed 10-4-2-1 to the top four finishers.

A high temperature of just 45 degrees is forecast for Saturday, but no rain is predicted, and the main track should be fast. Fifteen were entered in the Lecomte, but the filly Wonder Gadot, barring major scratches, starts instead in the Silverbulletday Stakes, and Ciaran will be scratched from the Lecomte. Trigger Warning, the lone also-eligible, is expected to run.

Instilled Regard was well regarded long before he debuted Sept. 2 at Del Mar. Lawrence Best’s OXO Equine paid $1.05 million to acquire him at a sale of 2-year-olds in training last March. Instilled Regard ran well in his first start but was second to the Baffert-trained St. Patrick’s Day, and second time out, he finished third, beaten 4 1/2 lengths by the Baffert-trained Mourinho.

Instilled Regard was stretched out from sprints to routes in his third race and cleared the maiden ranks, then was third, placed second via disqualification, to the Baffert-trained pair of Solomini and McKinzie in the Grade 1 Los Alamitos CashCall Futurity on Dec. 9.

Javier Castellano sees fit to come here and ride Instilled Regard for the first time. Asmussen, who also runs Zing Zang and Snapper Sinclair in the Lecomte, will give a leg up to Florent Geroux on Principe Guilherme.

“It’s going to be a different ballgame now for him,” Geroux said, “but it’s a nice spot to get him tested.”

KEY CONTENDERS

Instilled Regard, by Arch
Last 3 Beyers: 92-74-73

◗ Do you think this colt has a bottom to him by now? Instilled Regard has been working steadily since May 26 and has never missed a drill.

◗ After showing speed in his first three starts, he was ridden from last in the Los Al Futurity, making a strong, wide move around the turn to hit the front at the top of the stretch. Instilled Regard had a right to weaken late after a middle half-mile in 46.51 seconds, but he continued on strongly and was beaten three-quarters of a length by Solomini and just a head by McKinzie, who came back to win the Sham Stakes last weekend.

◗ Hollendorfer is a Hall of Fame trainer, but his Fair Grounds record is just 6-0-0-2.

Principe Guilherme, by Tapit
Beyers: 88-91

◗ Has totally dominated suspect opposition in his first two starts, running good final times despite setting relatively slow fractions in each race. Failed to change leads in his seven-furlong debut but actually switched twice in the local allowance win.

“Drawn in [post] 12 in a race of this quality, we won’t be kidding ourselves afterward, but we obviously have a lot of faith in him,” Asmussen said. “For him to have looked like that at two turns was pretty exciting for us.”

Zing Zang, by Tapit
Last 3 Beyers: 80-57-65

◗ Massive colt made considerable third-start improvement in an eye-catching maiden win over the Fair Grounds surface last out. Asmussen sees shades of his Belmont Stakes winner Creator.

“Physically, he’s at a huge disadvantage still because of how far he needs to go,” he said. “[Creator] is exactly who we’re hoping he is.”

Lone Sailor, by Majestic Warrior
Last 3 Beyers: 69-75-69

◗ He was Grade 1-placed in the Breeders’ Futurity but has been somewhat in and out. Races in blinkers for the first time.

“I don’t think he’s showing up in the afternoons the way I think he can,” trainer Tom Amoss said. “I know it’s related to his mental maturity”

Prince Lucky, by Corinthian
Last 3 Beyers: 74-83-66

◗ Yet to run two turns but has finished strongly in winning two straight sprints after trainer Larry Jones decided to stop his jockey from carrying a whip.

Kowboy Karma, by Kodiak Kowboy
Last 3 Beyers: 77-84-81

◗ Questionable whether he can get two turns, but his fourth in the Grade 1 Champagne stamps him as a possible player.

◗ He races for the first time since having throat surgery to keep him from displacing his soft palate during races.