Taco targets Prelude, then Super Derby

Taco, who won the first four races of his career before finishing second in the Pasadena Stakes at Santa Anita in his most recent start March 19, has a long-range goal of the Super Derby, trainer Efren Loza Jr. said Saturday.

Taco recently resumed training following a freshening and could make his first start back in the $60,000 Prelude on Aug. 5 at Louisiana Downs. The Prelude is the local prep for the $200,000 Super Derby on Sept. 9. Both are on turf this year after previously being run on dirt.

Taco has raced exclusively on turf. He won the first two races of his career at Gulfstream Park in 2016, then launched his 3-year-old season with an allowance win Feb. 11 at Fair Grounds. Taco came back and won his stakes debut in the $50,000 Texas Heritage on Feb. 25 at Sam Houston before running second in the $80,000 Pasadena at a mile.

“We gave him some time off after the Santa Anita race,” Loza said. “He lost weight. He ran three consecutive races, and we ran at different racetracks. We gave him a little time off on the farm.”

Taco is a son of Gio Ponti and the Group 1-winning mare That’s Life.

◗ Hud, a son of the stakes-winning mare Sarah Lane’s Oates, will make his Louisiana Downs debut Wednesday in the fifth race. The first-level allowance for 3-year-olds and up will be run at about a mile on turf. Hud is coming off a maiden win at the same distance March 18 at Fair Grounds.

The stretch-running Sarah Lane’s Oates was one of the most popular runners to come through Louisiana Downs, where she launched her career in 1996. She won 21 races, including 15 stakes, many at Louisiana Downs. Glen Warren bred and owns Hud and also bred and raced Sarah Lane’s Oates, who earned $888,296. Hud is by Cape Blanco.