Regal Ransom ready to go

BOSSIER CITY, La. - Regal Ransom will break from post 4 in a field of seven Saturday when he makes his first start since the Kentucky Derby in the Grade 2, $750,000 Super Derby at Louisiana Downs.

"That sounds like a good draw," said Rick Mettee, the U.S.-based assistant to trainer Saaed bin Suroor. "It's about right. We thought 4 or 5 would be a good draw."

Entries for the Super Derby, a 1 1/8-mile race that highlights the meet, were pulled during a ceremonial draw Wednesday. Soul Warrior, winner of the Grade 2, $750,000 West Virginia Derby in his last start Aug. 1, was installed as the 2-1 morning-line favorite. He will break from post 2 under John Velazquez.

Richard Migliore has the mount on Regal Ransom.

The Super Derby goes as the 11th race on a 13-race card that has a special early post of noon Central. It will be part of a $100,000 all-stakes pick four that runs from races 9-12. In all, there will be six stakes on the card that is worth more than $1.2 million, making it the richest of the meet at Louisiana Downs.

Regal Ransom was eighth in the Kentucky Derby, one start after winning the Grade 2, $2 million UAE Derby in Dubai. He has been training fowardly for his comeback, including six furlongs in 1:11.80 at Saratoga on Sept. 4. The timing of the Super Derby is one of the reasons he has come to Louisiana, Mettee said.

"We thought about the Pennsylvania Derby, but he wasn't quite ready for that," he said. "After that three-quarter work, we felt we've got a horse ready to run a pretty good race."

Regal Ransom has worked back once since, going five furlongs in 59.40 at Belmont on Monday. Migliore was aboard for the move, Mettee said. Regal Ransom is owned by Godolphin Racing, which won the Super Derby in 2002 with Essence of Dubai.

The complete field from the rail with riders is Red Lead, Francisco Torres; Soul Warrior; Massone, Garrett Gomez; Regal Ransom; Blame, Jamie Theriot; Uno Mas, Shane Sellers; and Electric Alphabet, Don Simington.

Saturday's forecast calls for isolated thunderstorms and a high of 81 degrees, according to weather.com. The Super Derby is scheduled to be telecast on both TVG and HRTV. Post time for the Super Derby is 5:12 p.m. Central.