Ten new names are among the 23 separately listed wagering interests for Pool 2 of the 2017 Kentucky Derby Future Wager, which opens Friday at noon Eastern for a three-day run.
Trainer Rohan Crichton said he is leaning toward running The Money Monster in the Grade 2, $400,000 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park on March 4 following the undefeated colt's victory last Saturday in the $53,500 Pasco Stakes.
Guest Suite did not appear to maximally extend himself winning the Grade 3, $200,000 Lecomte Stakes on Saturday at Fair Grounds, and his trainer, Neil Howard, saw nothing to contradict that impression Saturday night and Sunday morning.
In the 2015 Lecomte Stakes, trainer Neil Howard and owner Will Farish ran the promising 3-year-old Eagle as the favorite. Eagle, making his seasonal debut, never got into the race and finished seventh. Two years later, Howard and Farish again had the Lecomte favorite, this time in Guest Suite, a promising 3-year-old making his seasonal debut, and things turned out much better Saturday at Fair Grounds.
Now that Running Mate has lost, and with some backers likely to jump off his bandwagon, he now holds more wagering appeal in Saturday's Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds.
In Saturday's Louisiana Stakes at Fair Grounds, I like Seeking the Soul, who comes into this off the two best performances of his career.
David Carroll, his stable down to a handful of modest runners, finally gave up being a head trainer at the end of the 2015-2016 Fair Grounds meet, but he has settled comfortably into his job as an assistant to trainer Mark Casse.
Uncontested emerged from his Monday romp in the $150,000 Smarty Jones in good order and is being pointed for the second race in Oaklawn’s series for 3-year-olds, the Southwest.
Uncontested was left alone on the lead in the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes on Monday at Oaklawn Park and put on a show in the slop, winning off by 5 1/4 lengths while picking up 10 eligibility points for the Kentucky Derby.
Gormley is likely to have a nine-week gap between races after winning his 3-year-old debut by a head in a thrilling running of the $100,690 Sham Stakes at a mile on Saturday at Santa Anita. Trainer John Shirreffs said on Sunday that he is leaning toward the $200,000 San Felipe Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on March 11 for Gormley’s next start.
