Grade 2, $1 million Louisiana Derby, 1 3/16 miles, Fair Grounds, March 21, 2020 (100 Derby qualifying points for a win, 40 for second, 20 for third, 10 for fourth) Winner: Wells Bayou, by Lookin At Lucky Trainer: Brad Cox Jockey: Florent Geroux Owners: Clint Gasaway, Lance Gasaway, Madaket Stables LLC, and Wonder Stables Beyer Speed Figure: 91 This was the first of what originally was scheduled to be the final round of preps, worth 170 points overall and 100 to the winner. That likely will change, as Churchill Downs has said it will add additional point-scoring races to the Road to the Derby owing to the postponement of the Derby from May 2 to Sept. 5 because of the coronavirus pandemic. The route forward for the horses in this race, and all top Derby contenders remains in flux.  WELLS BAYOU, the winner, was coming off a gutsy second-place finish in the Southwest Stakes in which he earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 96. He used similar front-running tactics in this race. And though he was going an extra furlong than in the Southwest, he got away with a fairly soft pace (48 seconds to the half, 1:12.42 for six furlongs) over a surface that the Beyer and Associates team had as being exceptionally fast for the day. That was a winning combination for Wells Bayou. It’s also the reason his fig for this race came up light; he did it over a very fast surface. The pace was also the reason late runners had no chance. The first two finishers were one-two the whole way, and the third-place finisher never was worse than fourth. In this race, Wells Bayou broke best of the field of 14, bumped with MAILMAN MONEY, and was hustled away in the opening yards by Geroux, who in rides like this and on Ete Indien in the Fountain of Youth clearly shows he understands the need to utilize the best weapon of a horse with speed. A furlong into the race, he had a nice hold on Wells Bayou, allowing him to cruise along on the lead at a comfortable pace. Wells Bayou banked into the first turn with a clear advantage, and continued like that all the way down the backstretch. Geroux let him out a notch when NY TRAFFIC got to his hip three furlongs out. Wells Bayou opened up a bigger advantage nearing the furlong grounds, and though drifting out slightly late was never in danger of being caught. :: KENTUCKY DERBY 2020: Derby Watch, point standings, prep schedule, news, and more Ny Traffic, who finished second, was just behind and outside of Wells Bayou while in the three path around the first turn. He continued to stalk the leader from no more than two lengths away down the backstretch, got to the hip of Wells Bayou heading around the far turn, drifted out badly under left-handed whipping in upper stretch and had to be corrected, then gamely but futilely kept to his task the rest of the way. He too took advantage of the moderate pace on a fast surface. MODERNIST, who was third, was compromised by his far outside draw. He couldn’t get over during the run to the first turn and was caught four paths wide around that turn while forwardly placed. He was hustled along beginning three furlongs out and ranged up outside Ny Traffic from the three path, but went evenly through the lane while drifting out and losing ground to the top two finishers. MAJOR FED, who was fourth, broke slowly from the rail and was last into the first turn while saving ground. He had to wait in a bit of traffic heading into the far turn while still last, then was gradually angled off the rail on the far turn and ended up coming into the stretch widest of all in about the six path. He bumped with SHAKE SOME ACTION in upper stretch, and then with ENFORCEABLE midway through the lane, but continued to finish well. Considering the pace and his early position, this was a very good effort. This was only his fourth start, so the postponement of the Derby gives him more time to develop. Enforceable, who was fifth, lacked speed per usual and raced toward the rear of the pack about three paths wide on the first turn. He made a decent rally while about four to five paths wide on the far turn, bumped with Major Fed at midstretch, cut inside the wandering Modernist but lacked a sufficient rally. Shake Some Action, who was sixth, broke in at the start, got shuffled back coming through the lane the first time, then had to check when coming past the finish the first time to wind up near the rear of the field while saving ground. He was shuffled back anew heading to the far turn, was taken four paths wide on the turn and followed Enforceable, bumped with Major Fed in upper stretch, then was gradually angled toward the rail. He might not be quite this good, but he had enough go wrong here to give him a chance in another graded stakes race, and he might be a sneaky good gamble. SILVER STATE, who finished seventh, raced between rivals in the two path while midpack around the first turn, then checked just before turning up the backside. He continued to race in traffic into and around much of the far turn while still in the two path, split horses midway through the lane but couldn’t close appreciable ground. CHESTERTOWN, who was eighth, was forwardly placed, just behind the leader while between rivals, around the first turn. He was inside Modernist while saving ground into the far turn, drifted out a bit in upper stretch, flattened out in the final furlong and ducked out nearing the wire. ROYAL ACT, who was ninth, went into the first turn in the three path, just outside Chestertown. He was asked for his best entering the far turn while three to four paths wide but had nothing to offer. SOCIAL AFLEET, who was 10th, got squeezed back between rivals coming through the lane first time and went into the first turn in front of only Major Fed while saving ground. He remained well back down the backstretch, was able to hug the rail on the far turn, but never got involved. Mailman Money, who was 11th, bumped with Wells Bayou leaving the gate, but had good early speed and went into the first turn saving ground just behind the leader. He stayed in that spot to the far turn, continued to hug the rail, was roused midway on the turn, then emptied out badly through the lane. Considering the race shape, he was very disappointing. SHARECROPPER, who was 12th, had to take up nearing the wire the first time and was shuffled back to midpack, saving ground while inside Silver State, around the first turn. He was pushed along heading to the far turn to hold his position while continuing along the rail, then readily yielded through the lane. LYNN’S MAP, who was 13th, broke half a step slow, then went into the first turn midpack while three to four paths wide. He went into the far turn in the three path, but was done before reaching the midway point on the turn. PORTOS, who finished last of 14, checked between rivals coming to the finish post the first time and went into the first turn in the back half of the field, between Shake Some Action and Enforceable. He was outrun by those two around the first turn, was taken outside, was four paths wide on the far turn, came into the lane in the five path, but was always well behind.