Louisiana Downs: St. John’s River set to ship to Delaware

St. John’s River, the Kentucky Oaks runner-up who is based at Louisiana Downs, is scheduled to ship to Delaware Park on Thursday, according to trainer Andrew Leggio. She is being pointed to the Grade 2, $300,000 Delaware Oaks on July 9.

“One week before the race, we’re going to work her over there,” Leggio said of the early ship. “We want to let her get the feel of that track.”

Leggio said St. John’s River was to breeze Wednesday at Louisiana Downs. If all goes well, she’ll board an “18-wheeler” for Delaware the next morning, he said. St. John’s River will have the whole van to herself, with a three-stall area partitioned off for her so she has room to move around and get down and rest on the trip, Leggio said.

Rosie Napravnik, who was aboard St. John’s River when she finished second by a neck in the Kentucky Oaks, has the mount in the Delaware Oaks. Leggio said that if things go well, plans are to keep St. John’s River back east for the Grade 1, $500,000 Alabama at Saratoga on Aug. 20.

Leggio, who is winning with 33 percent of his starters at Louisiana Downs, will send out Silverlanes Deputy in the track’s seventh race Thursday. The colt will be a top choice in the maiden special weight on turf as his dam, former Leggio trainee Sarah Lane’s Oates, was a 15-time stakes winner who earned $880,000.

Calhoun charge leads Louisiana feature

Up and Out of Site will be returning to the overnight ranks for the ninth race Thursday at Louisiana Downs. The $25,000 optional claiming allowance at a mile on turf has second-level allowance conditions. Up and Out of Site enters off a close third-place finish in the $50,000 John Franks Memorial on June 4.

“I thought he ran well last time,” said Bret Calhoun, who trains Up and Out of Site for Jan Haynes. “He didn’t get a very good trip. He was kind of boxed in on the rail, in traffic behind horses, while [the winner] was on the lead the whole way.

“I think with a clear path earlier, he would have been more in the race. I’m not sure we could have beat the winner, but I think we could have been second that day.”

Up and Out of Site, who was beaten a neck for second in the Franks, is part of a competitive, 12-horse field. He will break from post 6, under Justin Shepherd.