NEW ORLEANS – Hurricanes and, early this week, tornadoes, can befall this city. Late Saturday afternoon, if form holds, it’ll be an earthquake. Predictive analysis shows that Fair Grounds, just to the north and west of the French Quarter, will be the Epicenter. With a career-best 98 on the Richter – er, Beyer – scale last time out, Epicenter heads into the Grade 2, $1 million Louisiana Derby on Saturday as the unquestioned horse to beat among nine 3-year-olds looking to move on to the Kentucky Derby May 7 at Churchill Downs. The rich purse is consistent with the largesse of points, with 170 on offer, including 100 for first and 40 for second, both sufficient to make the 20-horse field six weeks hence in Louisville. They will go 1 3/16 miles – just 110 yards shy of the Derby distance – in the longest prep on the road to the Kentucky Derby. The Louisiana Derby is the last of 12 races on a card that begins at noon Central. The card includes eight stakes, four of them Grade 2 events, including the Fair Grounds Oaks, a major prep for the May 6 Kentucky Oaks. The Fair Grounds Oaks, race 11, marks the seasonal debut of the brilliant Echo Zulu, who is making her first start since concluding a 4-for-4 campaign as a 2-year-old with a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies that secured for her the divisional Eclipse Award. :: KENTUCKY DERBY 2022: Derby Watch, point standings, prep schedule, news, and more Prior to the Oaks and Louisiana Derby are the New Orleans Classic, race 9, for older runners such as progressive Olympiad and the race’s defending champ, Chess Chief, then the Muniz Memorial, race 10, for older grass runners such as Calvary Charge, who won last month’s prep, the Grade 3 Fair Grounds Stakes, and Two Emmys, upset winner of last year’s Grade 1 Mr. D. (nee Arlington Million). Epicenter has emerged over the past few months as one of the top contenders for the Kentucky Derby. He heads into the Louisiana Derby with three wins in his last four starts, including last month’s Grade 2 Risen Star, where he got that 98 Beyer, tops among this field. The lone setback in that streak was a head loss to Call Me Midnight in the Grade 3 Lecomte in January. Pace made those races. In the 1 1/16-mile Lecomte, Epicenter had to go the opening half in 47.01 seconds and just did get nailed late. In the 1 1/8-mile Risen Star, he went nearly a full second slower for the opening half – 47.97 seconds – and drew clear from such top-ranked members of this crop as Smile Happy and Zandon, both of whom are awaiting the Blue Grass Stakes on April 9. “It was a disappointing loss in the Lecomte,” said Steve Asmussen, who trains Epicenter for owner Ron Winchell. “Wish he’d have won. Didn’t. Had success in the Risen Star. Looking for more of that. Been doing well since. Expecting a big run in the Derby.” Epicenter breaks from post 6. Joel Rosario has the return call. Zozos, drawn in post 2 with Florent Geroux, is the race’s wild card, both in terms of performance and pace. He has won both his starts, against maidens and allowance foes, and now in start three makes his stakes debut against some of the division’s leaders. He also has tactical early speed, making his post draw vis-à-vis Epicenter intriguing. “He’ll be on the lead or very close,” said his trainer, Brad Cox, who won this race in its first 1 3/16-mile iteration in 2020 with Wells Bayou. “There’s a pretty good run to the first turn. He’s a smart horse. He’ll do what you ask. He’s doing well. Obviously needs to step up. The late-running Call Me Midnight was a 28-1 upset winner of the Lecomte, in which he got a career-best Beyer Figure of 88 while taking advantage of the hot pace that proved Epicenter’s undoing in the closing yards. He was purposely kept out of the Risen Star to come into this fresh. Rattle N Roll, last year’s Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity winner, is wheeled back three weeks after finishing sixth in his 3-year-old debut in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth. :: Want to start playing with a $510 bankroll and have access to free Formulator? Learn more “He’s a set-up horse. He’ll be rolling late. It’s got to unfold for him,” said his trainer, Kenny McPeek. Galt also was in the Fountain of Youth, but was taken out of the race in an accident with less than a quarter-mile remaining when High Oak clipped heels and fell. “Fortunately he didn’t go down. He jumped the fallen horse and jumped sideways, made a hard right-hand turn,” said his trainer, Bill Mott, who said Galt came out of the incident in good condition. Pioneer of Medina was fourth, without apparent excuse, in the Risen Star after winning an allowance race here in his previous start. “Thought he ran well. Improving a little each time,” said his trainer, Todd Pletcher. “He ran well over the track twice, so it made sense to go back.” Kupuna, making his fifth start, tries stakes company for the first time after finishing second in an allowance race on the Risen Star undercard to Cyberknife, who goes next in the April 2 Arkansas Derby. Curly Tail beat maidens in start number six last time out. Silent Power will be the race’s longest shot. He won’t make anyone quake in their shoes. That’s Epicenter’s role.