Stall's horses put it together for Derby Weekend

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – For some trainers, an 8-for-101 meet isn’t that bad. But for the elite stable of Al Stall Jr., the four months at Fair Grounds in New Orleans this winter were sometimes difficult to get through.

“You just start hoping it’ll turn around for you,” Stall said Tuesday at Churchill Downs. “But sometimes you never know in this game.”

Just in time for Kentucky Derby Weekend, things really started to click for Stall, as he sent out four winners in a four-day span. Departing made a successful return to action with a 1 3/4-length optional-claiming triumph Wednesday, and then came bookend winners on the Kentucky Oaks card Friday: Brazen Persuasion won the first of 12 races, and French Press won the last race.

For the coup de grace, Stall saddled Central Banker to a dramatic head victory in the Grade 2 Churchill Downs Stakes on the Derby undercard.

“It’s not a weekend you’ll forget real soon,” said Stall, perhaps best known for his work with Blame, the 2010 champion older male.

Stall said Departing will be pointed to the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap on June 14 at Churchill. Departing earned a 100 Beyer Speed Figure.

Central Banker (107 Beyer) most likely will run next in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Mile on the June 7 Belmont Stakes undercard, “although we’ll take our time making that decision,” said Stall.

Brazen Persuasion (93 Beyer), a speedy 3-year-old filly who had not raced in eight months, will be considered for the Grade 1 Test Stakes at Saratoga, said Stall. “We’ll probably work backward from that,” he said.

French Press (80 Beyer) will resurface later in the spring meet in an allowance, he said.

The four Stall winners each came for a different client.