In terms of stakes racing, Saturday was one of those weird, wacky days that come along every so often with the sole apparent purpose of keeping us humble. Here’s what I’m talking about: * At Aqueduct, Workaholic was along in time to win the Cicada at 36-1, the longest shot in the field of six. * At Gulfstream, Gladiator King won the Hutcheson at 12-1 as the longest shot in the field of four. * Also at Gulfstream, Miss Marcela was one of the dead-heat winners in the Any Limit Stakes as the longest shot in the field of five at 19-1. Fair Grounds, the scene of Saturday’s most important stakes racing, was not immune to the day’s longshot epidemic. For example: * Core Beliefs prevailed in the New Orleans Handicap as the sixth choice in the field of nine and paid $20.20. * Street Band upset the Fair Grounds Oaks as the fifth choice in the field of seven and paid $23.80. * By My Standards surprised in the Louisiana Derby, returning $47 as the sixth choice in the field of 11. Under the circumstances, maybe Bricks and Mortar’s desperate nose decision at 1-5 over the 62-1 Markitoff in the six-horse Muniz Memorial wasn’t as disappointing as it first seemed. Okay, maybe not. But Bricks and Mortar was bucking a powerful longshot wave. Saturday’s biggest race was, of course, the Louisiana Derby. It was the first 170-point Kentucky Derby prep race of the season, with 100 points going to the winner and 40 points going to the runner-up, meaning those two were essentially guaranteed starting spots in Louisville. Those are the rules and everyone knew them going in, so you can’t argue with it. But that doesn’t mean you can’t question whether By My Standards and runner-up Spinoff are of Derby quality. The explanation that By My Standards became a completely different horse after his maiden victory last month (he did show two bullet workouts right after that score) is certainly plausible. That sort of stuff happens all the time with young 3-year-olds. But you’ll never see red-board reasoning here, so I’m sorry; I still don’t know how By My Standards won. In fact, I don’t know how By My Standards was as low as 22.5-1. I actually think he was a significant underlay. After all, he was the slowest member of the 11-horse Louisiana Derby field in terms of Beyer Speed Figures. Every one of By My Standards’s 10 opponents had at least once earned a Beyer higher than the modest career-best 78 he received for his maiden win. (Update - late Sunday morning, Beyer Associates boosted the figure for By My Standards’s maiden win from a 78 to an 86). Moreover, By My Standards was one of two in the Louisiana Derby field who had never even so much as run against winners before. The other was Lemniscate, and he finished dead last after setting an average early pace. It is essential to apply this context when assessing Spinoff’s effort. Spinoff, who went into the Louisiana Derby off an allowance victory at Tampa Bay Downs in which he won by the length of the stretch - but earned a Beyer of only 84 - took the lead in midstretch Saturday, and that should have been it. The race should have been over. Yes, I know that Spinoff was three wide around both turns while By My Standards saved ground around both turns, and that is supposed to mean something when the win margin is only three-quarters of a length. But really, Spinoff still should have closed the deal. That he was overtaken late by an opponent in By My Standards who had dubious credentials just begs skepticism. Obviously, the two big disappointments in the Louisiana Derby were War of Will, the 4-5 favorite, and Country House, the one-two finishers in last month’s Risen Star. Country House made a threatening, five-wide run on the far turn and into the stretch, but was out of gas in the final furlong. And he again broke slowly, which has officially become a habit. Country House has ability, but he’s not so good that he can break last every time and still expect to succeed. Not even at the level of this Louisiana Derby. War of Will, meanwhile, very likely has a legitimate excuse for his ninth-place finish. War of Will clearly took a bad step behind several strides out of the gate, and some time after the race he was reported to be off behind. Daily Racing Form colleague Jay Privman reported War of Will was much better Sunday morning, but there remains cause to forgive War of Will for this loss, his first since switching to dirt last fall. However, that does not absolve War of Will from still having to prove that he is only just okay. In his Risen Star, he tracked a thoroughly unremarkable early pace and went on to a clear-cut score. And yet, despite those ideal circumstances, all he could do was earn a modest Beyer of 92. (Update - also late Sunday morning, Beyer Associates knocked War of Will’s winning Risen Star Beyer down to 90.) War of Will now faces the double whammy of needing to do better than that while also having to put the specter of the Louisiana Derby behind him. Notes: ** War of Will wasn’t the only odds-on favorite to lose with an excuse Saturday at Fair Grounds. Serengeti Empress bled finishing last of seven at 1-5 in the Fair Grounds Oaks. Street Band, who finished a soundly beaten fourth in last month’s Rachel Alexandra behind not only Serengeti Empress, but also Fair Grounds Oaks starters Liora and Eres Tu, ran by Liora as though she was tied to the eighth pole and won off. As one who used Liora in doomed multi-race exotics, I admit I don’t know how Street Band did what she did, either. ** Bricks and Mortar didn’t look like the best turf male in the country in his Muniz struggle. Even though Markitoff got away with setting a glacial pace (24.82 seconds, 51.07, and 1:15.28), Bricks and Mortar was close up, just off his flank. And while Markitoff’s past performances were littered with stakes starts, they were all unsuccessful, and he was (and remains) still eligible to a non-winners-of-two-other-than allowance race. In fact, Markitoff has had four starts in allowance races just like that, and was unsuccessful in those, too. The difference with Bricks and Mortar is, he has already proven he is capable of much better than he showed Saturday. He dodged a bullet and still won. He’ll be fine going forward.