Stormdriver, The Pickett Factor meet in redrawn Gold Cup
It’s the Gold Cup, Take 2.
Delta Downs will field the $100,000 Gold Cup for the second time this year on Saturday night, after the Oct. 31 running had to be canceled due to heavy rain. A few new players have joined the lineup, with original entrants Stormdriver and The Pickett Factor meeting notable fresh entrant One King’s Man.
The Gold Cup, a one-mile race for 3-year-olds and up bred in Louisiana, is expected to produce starters for next month’s Louisiana Champions Day program at Fair Grounds.
Stormdriver, a multiple stakes winner and candidate for the Champions Day Classic, has had a good two weeks since the canceled Gold Cup. Smack Smack, a horse he was fourth to last out in the $175,000 Governor’s Cup at Remington Park, won the $55,000 Veterans Stakes on Nov. 2 at Zia Park. In addition, Stormdriver is now settled into his winter base at Fair Grounds and worked a half-mile in 49 seconds there Wednesday.
“He breezed really great,” said Patrick Devereux Jr., who trains Stormdriver for Fruition Racing. “I think it landed him in a good place. He’s ready.”
KEY CONTENDERS
Stormdriver (Last 3 Beyers: 90-82-96)
◗ The winner of both the John Henry and Louisiana Legends Classic at this past Evangeline Downs meet, he will be making his first start since running fourth in the Governor’s Cup on Aug. 15 at Remington.
“That was a good race,” Devereux said. “He gave all those horses a lot of weight. He was giving weight away to Code West and others that were really accomplished horses.”
Stormdriver toted 124 pounds while winner Smack Smack and third-place finisher Code West each carried 118.
◗ Following the Remington race, Stormdriver was freshened.
“I thought he was a little tired after that trip, and he’s run so hard for us,” Devereux said. “He’s a really hard trier. He guts himself pretty good, and before he was even cooled out that night, we decided that he was going to rest.”
◗ Stormdriver will break from post 9 under Donnie Meche.
One King’s Man (Last 3 Beyers: 81-82-92)
◗ He will be making his first start since May 1, when he rallied from last for fifth in the Grade 3 Texas Mile at Lone Star Park.
◗ One King’s Man registered his biggest win in the $200,000 Premier Night Championship on Feb. 7 at Delta.
◗ Gerard Melancon has the mount for Ken and Sarah Ramsey and trainer Joe Sharp.
The Pickett Factor (Last 3 Beyers: 87-87-86)
◗ The Super Derby has become a productive race since his fourth-place finish Sept. 12. The runner-up, Chocopologie, returned to win a Delta optional claimer and is being considered for either the Hawthorne Gold Cup or the Zia Park Derby, with the Zia Park Derby the front-runner, said trainer Devereux.