Lucullan stepping up in Mervin Muniz Handicap

NEW ORLEANS – In a perfect world trainer Kiaran McLaughin would be going for a pair of major victories on Saturday here at Fair Grounds, but after Avery Island was knocked off the Kentucky Derby trail and out of the Louisiana Derby, McLaughlin will have to settle for taking just one shot, but it looks like a good one, for the promising Lucullan will be going for his third win in his last four starts in the Grade 2, $300,000 Muniz Memorial Handicap.

The Muniz is for older horses going about 1 1/8 miles on turf, and the field includes local stalwarts Synchrony and Mr. Misunderstood, who were one-two last time out in the Fair Grounds Handicap, and the 7-year-old warrior Ring Weekend, seeking to add to a bankroll that already has topped $1.5 million.

But Lucullan, 4, has the look of a colt who could be a serious player in the older male turf division this year. He improved sharply when he was moved to the grass last summer, finished his 3-year-old campaign with a second-place finish in the Grade 3 Hill Prince, and debuted at 4 by displaying a dazzling turn of foot to knock off an allowance race at Gulfstream on Feb. 11.

“We gave him a breather at the end of the year because he ran a big race and we wanted to treat him like a good horse,” McLaughlin said Thursday via telephone from Florida, where he is based for the winter. “He came back with an impressive win. We’re using this to see how good he is, see if we go from here to a Grade 1 at Churchill Downs on Derby Day or a Grade 3 at Belmont.”

Synchrony returned from a layoff of nearly nine months to win the Fair Grounds Handicap, and has now finished first twice and second twice in four starts since moving to turf.

“You could see going into that race that has was going to run big, and he did,” said his trainer, Mike Stidham. “He came out of it well and has continued to train well.”

Mr. Misunderstood had a five-race win streak come to an end when second as the favorite in the Fair Grounds Handicap, his first time facing older horses. It was the first time he had been beaten in nine grass races.

“He ran a great race, just second-best on the day,” said his trainer, Brad Cox.

Cox also sends out Arklow, who beat allowance runners over this course in his first start in more than six months, a break necessitated by “small issues with his feet, nothing major,” Cox said.

“That was a good race off the layoff,” Cox said.

There are 11 entered in the Muniz, with Mr. Misunderstood, Ring Weekend, and Synchrony all carrying top weight of 118 pounds, but there’s only a three-pound spread for the whole field, reflecting both the nature of handicap racing these days and the evenly matched field.

The quality of the field is “better than I was hoping for,” Stidham said, laughing.

The Muniz goes as race 9 on the 14-race card.

KEY CONTENDERS

Lucullan, by Hard Spun
Last 3 Beyers: 97-96-93

◗ One curious aspect of the race is the decided lack of pace, something that concerned McLaughlin.

Synchrony, by Tapit
Last 3 Beyers: 100-99-98

◗ Joe Bravo rode him for the first time last time and is back aboard.

Mr. Misunderstood, by Archarcharch

Last 3 Beyers: 95-91-88

◗ He owns three wins and a second in four starts on the Fair Grounds turf.

Ring Weekend, by Tapit
Last 3 Beyers: 96-95-96

◗ He ended an eight-race losing streak dating to November 2016 when he won last time, but his Beyer Figures have remained remarkably consistent on turf throughout that span, only once going below 94.

Forge, by Dubawi
Last 3 Beyers: 105-83-101

◗ He was second to male turf champ World Approval in his first start of the year in last month’s Tampa Bay going 1 1/16 miles.

“He ran a big race at Tampa and came out of it really well,” assistant trainer Riley Mott, son of trainer Bill Mott, said here Thursday morning. “Hopefully the extra sixteenth will help.”