Late-running Enforceable, speedy Wells Bayou major players in Louisiana Derby

Before the long Fair Grounds season started, both the Risen Star Stakes and the Louisiana Derby had their distances increased for this year’s Kentucky Derby prep season. In the past week, that has turned out to be a metaphor for this unprecedented Derby season. Who can go the distance? We’ll find out, in the long run.

The Louisiana Derby on Saturday, extended this year from its previous 1 1/8 miles to 1 3/16 miles, was to be the longest of the United States preps for when the Derby was originally scheduled for May 2. With the Derby now pushed back four months to Sept. 5, additional points-scoring races will be added, according to Churchill Downs. Perhaps some will be traversing the Derby’s 1 1/4 miles in a summertime prep. It’s all uncharted waters.

No matter the date of the Derby, the Louisiana Derby is an important prep, worth 170 points towards a berth in the Derby, including 100 to the winner. And it’s an important race regardless, with a $1 million purse and Grade 2 black type. An overflow field was entered, and as many as 14 can start.

Two of the 14 – Enforceable and Lynn’s Map – are trained by Mark Casse, who applauded the move to lengthen the distances of the Louisiana Derby and Risen Star.

“I think it was a good move,” Casse said. “The Risen Star was moved to a mile and an eighth and they had to divide it. The Louisiana Derby is a mile and three-sixteenths and has an overflow field. I think some of these other tracks should take note.”

Casse believes the extra distance of the Louisiana Derby will help both his runners. Enforceable is the more seasoned and more accomplished of the two. This will be his ninth start. Earlier this meet, he won the 1 1/16-mile Lecomte and then was second in the faster division of the Risen Star, behind Mr. Monomoy, who subsequently was injured and is sidelined. In both his local starts, Enforceable lagged well back early and made an extended run.

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“I’m hoping he breaks a little quicker,” Casse said. “He’s shown he can come with a big run. It would be nice if he wasn’t last. He needs some pace. Hopefully there will be some speed in the race.”

Lynn’s Map was sixth, beaten four lengths, in the slower division of the Risen Star, behind 1-2-3-4 finishers Modernist, Major Fed, Ny Traffic, and Mailman Money, all of whom are back for the Louisiana Derby. Lynn’s Map, usually a pace stalker, was last into the first turn that day.

“He got knocked around pretty good at the start,” said Casse, who said Lynn’s Map suffered a cut on the outside of his right front leg. “I think his last race is much better than it looks.”

The lightly raced but improving Wells Bayou looms a major player in his first local start. He comes off a sharp second-place finish in the Southwest at Oaklawn after setting a brisk pace while earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 96, tops among this field. He looks like the one to catch, especially utilizing his draw in post 3.

“I thought it was a big effort,” his trainer, Brad Cox, said of the Southwest. “I didn’t expect him to go that quick early. To stick around showed his class.”

Cox also sends out Shake Some Action, who makes his stakes debut after winning a first-level allowance at Fair Grounds against fellow entrants Chestertown and Sharecropper while earning a moderate Beyer Figure of 80.

“He doesn’t have much early speed. If things fall apart on the front end it would help him,” Cox said. “If there’s no pace, it would help Wells Bayou and hurt him.”

Silver State was third as the favorite behind Enforceable in the faster division of the Risen Star, recording a career-best Beyer Figure of 88. He landed post 13, with Lynn’s Map to his inside and Modernist to his outside. There’s a long run to the first turn, but all three will need that time to get position.

Royal Act ships in from Santa Anita, where he was second to Thousand Words in the Robert Lewis in his first start on dirt, with blinkers, and with Abel Cedillo, who is back aboard. He’s turned in four sharp works since then. “He’s done very well,” said his trainer, Peter Eurton.

Portos was a distant third in the Withers at Aqueduct last time out. Reigning champion jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. takes over for the first time.

Social Afleet beat older horses in a Louisiana-bred allowance last time with a career-best Beyer of 71.

The Louisiana Derby is the last race on a 12-race card that begins at 11 a.m. Central. It is immediately preceded by three other Grade 2 stakes – the New Orleans Classic for older dirt horses, the Muniz Memorial for older grass runners, and the Fair Grounds Oaks for aspirants to the Kentucky Oaks, now scheduled for Sept. 4.