HORSE RACING – MUST-WATCH KENTUCKY DERBY PREP RACE THIS WEEKEND – 2021 Louisiana Derby
With just six weeks left until the 2021 Kentucky Derby, this is the time of the 3-year-old horse racing season when the cream starts rising to the top.
Truth be told, three colts have already made it to my unofficial favorites list: Life is Good, Greatest Honour and Essential Quality. So far, they are among the fastest contenders to hit the Kentucky Derby Trail and have already proven themselves worthy of lining up on the first Saturday in May.
But tomorrow’s Louisiana Derby (March 20) will likely bring another Kentucky Derby standout to the fore-front, especially if it comes from a set of three horses who have already faced each other twice before this season: Midnight Bourbon, Proxy and Mandaloun.
During the first matchup of these three at the Lecomte Stakes in January, Midnight Bourbon went wire-to-wire over Proxy (second place) and Mandaloun (third).
The outcome flipped a month later during the trio’s second meeting at the Risen Star Stakes in Feb when Mandaloun stormed home to beat Proxy (second) as Midnight Bourbon finished third.
The general consensus of this result was that Midnight Bourbon regressed while Mandaloun improved. I suspect the difference may have been the fact that Mandaloun had blinkers on for the first time which helped this “green” colt focus better.
Also, Midnight Bourbon, who controlled a slower pace at the Lecomte, battled with another pace setter at the Risen Star (Rightandjust) and the speed was just too much for him to overcome. It ultimately helped Mandaloun storm down the stretch for the victory.
Unfortunately, for Midnight Bourbon, Rightandjust is also entered in the Louisiana Derby. How will he and his jockey (Joe Talamo) deal with this contender again when both colts seem to want and need the lead?
Meanwhile, Proxy, who has finished second twice in this grouping, is likely developing as we speak. A late foal born in April, Proxy may just be slightly behind the others. Even a matter of weeks can make a difference at this age. It’ll be interesting to see how much this colt improves over the next several weeks.
On paper, when we break down the speeds and positions of these three, there doesn’t seem to be much separating them:
| Race, date, distance | Midnight Bourbon | Proxy | Mandaloun |
| Lecomte (Jan) 8.5 f | First – 99* | Second – 97* | Third – 97* |
| Risen Star (Feb) 9 f | Third – 95* | Second – 95* | First – 97* |
| Louisiana Derby (Mar) 9.5 f | ? | ? | ? |
| *Equibase Speed Figure |
In reality, Mandaloun just might become the breakout star of this triumvirate. The main reason: Everything trainer Brad Cox touches lately seems to turn to gold. If we were betting on trainers to win the Kentucky Derby, I’d have my money on this guy this year.
A native of Louisville and winner of 2020’s Eclipse Award for Champion Trainer, 40-year-old Cox has never entered a horse at the Kentucky Derby before. But he’ll have two of the favorites this year in my book: Essential Quality, along with Mandaloun.
After seeing what he’s done with Monomy Girl (winner of the 2018 Kentucky Oaks And Breeders’ Cup Distaff), Covfefe and British Idiom (Breeders’ Cup Winners), plus 2020 Kentucky Oaks Winner Shedaresthedevil, it’s clear Cox is on a roll.
But it might have been how Cox turned Knicks Go from a talented, but disappointing and apathetic colt to a Breeders Cup and Pegasus World Cup winner that shows to me this man has the experience and knowledge to saddle up multiple Triple Crown winners.
I hate to sound gimmicky, but it feels like Cox is on the verge of achieving a Bob Baffert kind of fame in the near future.
Of course, this all sets up for the big question coming in 44 short days: Will Brad Cox beat Bob Baffert and his stable of elite contenders at Churchill Downs?
In the meantime, let’s kick back and enjoy what tomorrow brings at the Louisiana Derby. With a victory by Mandaloun, it will definitely ratchet up the suspense as we approach the Running for the Roses, don’t you think?
For more about Brad Cox’s journey to the Kentucky Derby check out this article from the Courier Journal.
TV COVERAGE OF THE LOUISIANA DERBY (SAT, MARCH 20): Live Broadcast on NBCSN from 6-7pm ET. POST TIME: 6:44pmET.
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