Super Derby- Grade 3 ($400.000 Purse)
LAD- For Three Year Olds
One Mile and One Eighth on the Dirt
September 10, 2016

We’ll have some good racing down south this weekend as the 10th running of the Super Derby is set to take place at LAD.  The purse for this event is $400.000, but in the past it has gone for as much as $750.000.  That was in 2009, and it attracted the likes of Madhouse, who went on to get the win.  More recently we have still seen some top notch winners, such as Nile Warrior in 2013, or Royal Prodigy, a horse that got a lot of attention last weekend at SAR, in 2015.   This year, the field is small as only six will go to the gate.  While we don’t have a real big headliner for this race, it ends up being a solid field overall.  It should be a competitive race, so let’s glance at the field now.

#1- Asset Class (Sccj Stables, ridden by F Prat)- Picked up a big win this spring in the Grade 3 Coolmore Lexington at KEE, but by then it was too late for him to get into the KYD.  Therefore, the trainer took another path, and Asset Class would run well in the Peter Pan (Grade 2) at BEL before being set to the Queens Plate.  Unfortunately, that did not go according to plan, and he finished up the track.  He didn’t panic and recovered beautifully in the WV Derby, placing second in that Grade 2.   Since Asset Class moved up to the stake level, he has not really put two big efforts back to back in his career.  This would be a fine time to start.

#2- Ocean Cookie (Aml Racing, ridden by E J Wilson)- On the same day Asset Class was at the WV Derby, Ocean Cookie was right here running in a stake known as the Super Derby Prelude.  It didn’t serve as much of a prelude, really, since Ocean Cookie is the only horse returning from that race.  He ran well though, finishing second in what was his stake debut.  This gelding has really been developing well since the spring and should not be ruled out.

#3- Pure Raindrops (Mb Stables, ridden by I Ortiz Jr)- Purchased by Mb Stables for $350.000 not too long after he won an allowance, which was his second career win.  That was quite a stunning price tag at the time for a horse that had just $58.390 in earnings over seven starts, but Mb clearly saw something.  In his debut for his new trainer, he went to the Grade 2 MTH Cup on the last day of July, and he won, because, wait, no he didn’t win, after all! See, everything Mb touches doesn’t turn to roses and he had some raindrops in that race, placing seventh.  All kidding aside, it was the best race of his career so far, and Pure Raindrops just wanted to start going long.  He’s a big threat here.

#4- Thats The Truth (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by M E Smith)- In his fifth start, Thats The Truth was finally able to break his maiden, going seven furlongs on the grass.   The trainer liked what he saw, and it has been nothing but graded events, on the turf, for Thats The Truth since then. He hasn’t one of them, but he has turned in some good runs.  Going back to the main track now, Thats The Truth will need to show that he can translate that ability off the turf.   He had a strong work at SAR in late July which should encourage optimism about his chances here.

#5- Laffin Alicia (Australia Wide, ridden by L M Ocasio)- It will be the first race for Laffin Alicia while running for Australia Wide.  After finishing fifth in the WV Derby, and on the very same day, Joshua Stables sold the gelding to Australia Wide in private sales for $250.000.  Despite his finish in the running order, the WV Derby was the best race of his career, so you have to think this was an attempt to cash out on him rather then the trainer being disappointed.  Laffin Alicia should thrive now under the guidance of Australia Wide and has a great chance to win here.  But if he does, let’s not get carried away and say the new trainer found some magic potion, as he was progressing leading up to the WV Derby.

#6- Ratan (Heavens Own, ridden by J R Velazquez)- The winner of the coveted Prince of Wales stakes at FE for Canadian breds returns to the track in hopes of following up that race well.  I had the pleasure of covering of that race, and while I second guessed him in the preview, Ratan really stepped up there and dominated the race in a wire to wire effort.  Look for him to try to do that again here, but I am thinking that he will have more pressure on him in the early moments from a couple here.   This is an important race for him, as a win may get the trainer thinking BC Classic.

Prediction: 5-1-3-6

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES