Sheri's Rubiano looks the goods in Harrah's Juvenile

BOSSIER CITY, La. - Sheri's Rubiano, perfect on the turf and the only two-time winner in the field, heads up the cast of 13 2-year-olds entered in Saturday's Harrah's Juvenile Stakes. The 1 1/16-mile race over the Louisiana Downs turf course carries a Breeders' Cup-subsidized $125,000 purse and is one of three stakes on the Super Derby undercard.

Paul Murphy, trainer of , is a British native whose European influence goes beyond his accent. His conditioning regimen differs dramatically from that of his North American counterparts and is one of the reasons why Sheri's Rubiano was an immediate success, winning at two turns on the grass at first asking.

"One of the last things I don't want to instill in a young horse is speed," Murphy said soon after Sheri's Rubiano drew post 7 for the Juvenile early Wednesday afternoon. "I want a horse to finish. If I send one out for a five-furlong work in the morning, I want him to cruise the first half-mile and then finish up and gallop out strongly."

When asked specifically about Sheri's Rubiano, Murphy said he was a "funny little horse" who "does not look like much in the mornings. He just does what it takes to get the job done."

Murphy noted that the Beyer Speed Figures Sheri's Rubiano has earned "are not that impressive, but he won both of those turf races rather easily."

Murphy pointed to a "spot of bad luck" in Sheri's Rubiano's most recent start, a ninth-place finish in the Kettle One El Joven Stakes at Retama Park last month.

"It had been dry down there, and it rained for about half an hour, and they took the race off the turf," Murphy said. "They did so at four in the afternoon, not giving the course a chance to dry out before the evening's program began."

A much better effort for Sheri's Rubiano is expected on Saturday with a return to his preferred surface. Murphy has given E.J. Perrodin the call.

, second in his debut at six furlongs on the main track at 1-5, made amends and then some in his second start. Trainer Jeff Trosclair changed surfaces with Hyte Regency, a Florida-bred son of Diligence, and the result was a convincing victory by almost eight lengths, once again at odds-on. Leading rider John Jacinto has taken the return call.

DeBartolo Oaks: Enduring Will is back

In the Marie DeBartolo Oaks, also on the grass, returns to action after taking the summer off. Third in the Grade 3 Silverbulletday Stakes at Fair Grounds in the spring, Enduring Will has been training well for trainer Al Stall Jr., including a recent six-furlong move on the grass in 1:13.20, breezing.

, trained by Steve Asmussen, comes into the Oaks off a hard-fought allowance win over the Arlington turf on Aug. 27. That win was her third in nine starts and second on the turf.

Red Queen has to be considered the "now" horse of the Oaks off the strength of a three-race win streak. Trained by former Louisiana Downs regular Robert Holthus, Red Queen won over the new Polytrack surface at Turfway Park last out, and she also won on turf at Ellis Park in July.

Wilhite: Ready Ruler vs. Jazzy Gallop

, the 118-pound highweights, meet in the Don Wilhite Memorial Handicap at a mile on the turf for 3-year-olds.

Ready Ruler finished a close second in the Jim Bowie Stakes at Retama in his last start, and Jazzy Gallop won the Grand Prairie Turf Challenge at Lone Star this year. Charming Kid (117) has finished no worse than second in three efforts over the local grass this year.