Louisiana Futurity favorites hard to ignore

The question to ask regarding the two divisions of the Louisiana Futurity on Saturday at Fair Grounds should be “by how many” rather than “who.”

The formulation applies especially in the fillies’ race, where Little Miss Curlin, based on her established form, could stop for a beignet at the eighth pole and still get home in time. Listed at 3-5 on the track’s morning line, Little Miss Curlin looks more like a 1-5 shot, if not lower.

Our Moneyman’s grip on the colts and geldings division feels somewhat less firm but still substantial. He’s 7-5 on the morning line and could wind up an odds-on favorite.

Contested over six furlongs, the two futurities wind up on different parts of a nine-race Saturday program. The fillies division, worth $116,000, goes as race 3, while the $119,000 colts and geldings division is race 7. Connections of runners in both races made six payments, ranging from $50 in July to $1,200 after entry, to keep their horses Futurity-eligible.

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On Beyer Speed Figures, Little Miss Curlin rated among the fastest 2-year-old fillies in North America during 2025. She debuted at her home track, Delta Downs, winning a maiden race by 4 1/2 lengths with a 67 Beyer, then captured the Donovan Ferguson Memorial at Fair Grounds by five lengths with a 75 Beyer. Sent off at 4-5 in the Louisiana Champions Day Lassie, Little Miss Curlin never had an anxious moment, drawing clear to win by 4 1/4 lengths with an 84 Beyer.

Not only her figures, but Little Miss Curlin’s approach has improved through racing. Both jockey Jareth Loveberry and Pat Devereux, who trains the homebred filly for Coteau Grove Farms, noted how Little Miss Curlin relaxed sweetly in the Lassie, more so than in her Ferguson score. And while Little Miss Curlin returns on three weeks’ rest, Devereux and Coteau Grove had this race circled all along. A couple days after the Lassie, Devereux quickly batted away talk of two-turn competition or open-company stakes. That could come later, if it comes at all.

Our Moneyman already has passed open-company muster, winning a Keeneland maiden race in his second start. That he went off at odds as high as 2-1 was as surprising as the fact he lost the Nov. 20 Joseph Peluso Memorial while facing Louisiana-breds for the first time. Trainer Bret Calhoun reasonably put that second-place finish down to Our Moneyman breaking through the starting gate, and facing tougher foes in the Champions Day Juvenile, Our Moneyman won by a half-length. The 80 Beyer he earned in that race seems to accurately represent the colt’s capability, and with three starts before the Juvenile, Our Moneyman has the foundation to maintain his form Saturday.

Bettors will land on Dickie T as the leading alternative to the favorite. A distant second in his Nov. 20 debut to Creole Chrome, who was a good third behind Our Moneyman in the Juvenile, Dickie T was bet in a Dec. 14 Louisiana-bred maiden like he couldn’t lose. He didn’t, winning by 1 1/4 lengths going away, and he has latitude to improve again.

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