Midnight Bourbon works half-mile for Louisiana Derby
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NEW ORLEANS – The best-looking horse seen working Monday at Fair Grounds was, appropriately, the highest-profile horse seen working during a quiet training session in balmy New Orleans.
Midnight Bourbon, trying to punch his ticket to the Kentucky Derby when he starts Saturday in the $1 million Louisiana Derby, breezed an easy half-mile in 49.20 seconds. The colt looked good when he won the Lecomte Stakes in January and looks even better now.
“He’s definitely going the right way,” said Scott Blasi, who oversaw Monday works here as the Fair Grounds-based assistant to trainer Steve Asmussen. “He’s awesome physically and is just going to improve. Today was a typical easy half-mile before a race, but he was feeling good, getting over the ground good, and covering a lot of ground.”
Midnight Bourbon wired the Lecomte and on Feb. 13 tracked pacesetting Rightandjust before finishing a solid third in the Risen Star Stakes.
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“I do think he’s a lot more relaxed from the previous race to this race,” Blasi said. “Watching him train and the way he’s acting, I think he’s going to relax a little more.”
Midnight Bourbon is one of eight in the 1 3/16-mile Louisiana Derby, which drew the two horses that beat him last month, Mandaloun and Proxy.
Out in the Asmussen barn’s second set Monday was Rachel Alexandra winner Clairiere, who worked an easy half in 49.80 for her engagement Saturday in the Fair Grounds Oaks. Clairiere, probably looking at a shadow or some such, Blasi speculated, switched leads past the eighth pole, but she, too, pleased connections with her drill.
“She touts herself a lot more than she used to and is a lot more generous in her works. She’s been very focused in her important works for this race,” said Blasi.
Sonneman, who starts Saturday in the New Orleans Classic, which figures to have Owendale as a favorite, worked his own easy half Monday in 49.60 seconds, making a fine visual impression himself.
Beduin Fighter, a 3-year-old War Front colt who debuts for the Asmussen barn in the fifth race Saturday, blew out a slow three furlongs in 38.60 seconds but nonetheless caught the eye working Monday morning.