During training hours Friday morning at Fair Grounds,
conditioner Neil Howard reported all systems still “on go” for
appearances by the talented sophomore duo of Gaillardia Racing’s Wilkinson and
Courtlandt Farms’ Machen in the upcoming 97th renewal of the $1
million Louisiana Derby on March 26.
With its new seven-figure purse, the upcoming Louisiana
Derby will be the richest Thoroughbred race ever run in New Orleans, and the Grade
III Lecomte winner Wilkinson and Grade II Risen Star fourth-place
runner Machen join Risen Star winner Mucho Macho Man, owned by Reeves
Thoroughbred and Dream Team One Racing, and Catesby Clay’s Rogue Romance,
third in that same test, as a contentious foursome to head the field of
probable Louisiana Derby starters.
Wilkinson breezed four furlongs in 51.40 Monday at Fair
Grounds, while Machen went that same half-mile distance that same morning in
50.60.
“They were both basically ‘leg stretcher’ breezes,” said
Howard Thursday. “I’ve been giving Wilkinson three or four ‘halves’ six days
apart since the Lecomte, and Machen’s move Monday was just a maintenance kind
of tune-up to see where we are with him since the Risen Star. They are both
fairly easy horses to train, and right now all we’re trying to do is see what
they need and how stringent we have to be with their training leading up to the
Louisiana Derby.
“They will both have fairly simple schedules leading up to
the (Louisiana Derby),” said Howard. “At this point in time, there is a remote
possibility that I will work them in company with other horses to keep them
sharp, but not with each other. They’re both too competitive for me to do that
with them.”
HOWARD: NO FAIR GROUNDS OAKS FOR CHLOE KATE
Courtlandt Farms’ Chloe Kate, who finished fifth in
the Grade III Rachel Alexandra Stakes Feb. 19, will not run back in the Grade
II Fair Grounds Oaks March 26, trainer Neil Howard indicated Thursday
morning
“She’s doing fine,” said Howard, “and I thought she ran
well in the Rachel Alexandra, but I think what I want to do now is back off on
her slightly. We may have pushed her a little bit putting her in that last
race, so now I think we’ll take her to Kentucky
and look for a ‘two-other-than’ race for her next start. I’ve found that most
of the time, when you back off on these young horses a little bit, they’ll turn
around and reward you for doing that later on.”