Prelude top two could meet again in Super Derby

The Pickett Factor and Allied Air Raid are both under consideration for next month’s Grade 2, $400,000 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs following their one-two finish in the track’s $100,000 Prelude last Saturday. The Pickett Factor was a 1 1/4-length winner over favorite Allied Air Raid.

The Super Derby is the richest race of the Louisiana Downs meet. The 1 1/8-mile fixture will be run Sept. 12.

The Pickett Factor improved his career record to 4 for 5 with his authoritative win in the Prelude. He had defeated older rivals in consecutive conditioned allowances at Louisiana Downs prior to last Saturday’s race, which was for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles. The Pickett Factor stalked the pace and went on to earn a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 87.

“We were pleased,” said Ralph Irwin, who trains The Pickett Factor for Melissa Cantacuzene. “He just ran the kind of the race we were hoping for, and off the pace. We’re real happy. We’ve been very blessed to be able to step him through the channels we’ve wanted to.”

The Pickett Factor earned a fees-paid berth into the Super Derby with his Prelude win in a perk worth $4,000. Irwin said the horse is under consideration for the Super Derby.

“We’re thinking of the Super Derby,” Irwin said. “We’ll see what happens, see how he comes out of the race more than anything. So far, he’s come back good. We got the free roll into it, so that’s nice. You don’t have to come up with the entry and start money, so in that respect you got to think about it. If you don’t, you’re not doing your job.”

Allied Air Raid, a son of Midshipman, returned to his Churchill Downs base Sunday and will be considered for the Super Derby as well as turf races at Churchill Downs and Indiana Grand, trainer Brad Cox said.

“He got back in good order,” Cox said. “He’s nominated to the Super Derby, and we’ll nominate to some other things the month of September. We definitely have the Super Derby on our radar.”

Cox said one of the races Allied Air Raid will be nominated to is the Jefferson Cup at Churchill.

“It’s on the grass,” Cox said. “If we keep him up here, we may be looking next out on the grass. These Midshipmans seem to run on the grass. A lot of his progeny seem to run on the grass.”

Cox added, however, that Allied Air Raid has never missed the board on dirt, including a runner-up finish in the Grade 3 Iowa Derby.

“We’ll kind of let him tell us what he’s up for,” he said.

Allied Air Raid earned a Beyer of 85 in the Prelude.

Louisiana Downs will close its free, early bird nominations to the Super Derby on Saturday.