Lawyer Ron among 11 for Super Derby

Lawyer Ron and Strong Contender are among 11 3-year-olds under consideration for the Grade 2, $500,000 Super Derby next Saturday at Louisiana Downs. Both were scheduled to put in a final work for the 1 1/8-mile race over the weekend and fly into Shreveport, La., on Wednesday.

The flight will originate in New York, where Strong Contender is based, and come through Kentucky, where Lawyer Ron is stationed. A flight from California is due in Thursday. Among those that could be on board are Point Determined and Cindago, the front-running winner of the $106,000 El Cajon at Del Mar.

"We're a possible," trainer John Sadler said of Cindago. "We're also looking at the [Indiana] Derby. We're going to breeze him probably on Monday or so, and then make up our minds."

The Grade 2, $500,000 Indiana Derby will be run at Hoosier on Oct. 7.

Bob Baffert, who trains Point Determined, said last week that the colt is also under consideration for the $250,000 British Columbia Derby at Hastings but is more likely to run in the Super Derby.

Lawyer Ron should go favored off his sweeping win in the $250,000 St. Louis Derby at Fairmount on Aug. 26. He was to breeze at Churchill Downs this Saturday, said his trainer, Bob Holthus. He will be ridden by John McKee.

Trainer John Ward said Friday he is still deciding on a rider for Strong Contender. Edgar Prado, aboard the colt for his Grade 2 Dwyer win and his third-place finish last month in the Grade 1 Haskell, has commitments at Belmont Park, which has three graded stakes the same day as the Super Derby, Ward said. Strong Contender was scheduled to breeze "a maintenance five-eighths" this weekend at Belmont, said Ward.

Other probables are Louisborg and His Eyes, a respective first and third in the local prep, the $100,000 Prelude, and Majestic Stream, a stakes winner at Ruidoso who will arrive by van on Sunday night. Those under strong consideration are Smokeyjonessutton, runner-up in the St. Louis Derby, and Almost Certain, runner-up in the Prelude.

Sea of Trees, the third-place finisher in the Grade 3 Kent at Delaware, is possible, said his trainer, Tom Bohannan, while Costa Rising, winner of his last six starts, is expected to be entered in both the Super Derby and the $75,000 Donnie Wilhite, one of four undercard stakes. Entries are Wednesday.