Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Phat Man gets back on grass
Owner Brad Grady and trainer Joe Sharp already have had a memorable year of racing, led by the exploits of Girvin. Phat Man can add to the fun on Saturday. He is headed to Louisiana Downs for the $200,000 Super Derby, where he will start as one of the leading contenders on the strength of his high-percentage connections and a recent stakes win at Monmouth Park.
Phat Man won the $100,000 Long Branch at the 1 1/16-mile distance of the Super Derby in July at Monmouth. He will be moving back to turf for the Super Derby, which is being run on grass for the first time.
Phat Man has run three times on grass, with his best finish a second in a $30,000 starter allowance in March at Fair Grounds.
“His mother, Nicole’s Dream, was a Grade 2 winner on the grass, so we’ve tried him on the grass before,” Sharp said. “He ran well at the Fair Grounds.”
Phat Man will be shipping in from Kentucky for the Super Derby. Roberto Morales has the mount from post 6 in a field of six. The complete field, from the rail and with riders: Fast Talkin Man, Luis Quinonez; Gorgeous Kitten, Colby Hernandez; Flying Honeypot, Carlos L. Marquez; Mr. Misunderstood, Chris Rosier; Sonneteer, Gerard Melancon; and Phat Man, Morales.
Girvin won the Risen Star and Louisiana Derby this year and gave Grady and Sharp their first Grade 1 victory in July in the Haskell Invitational. Sharp said Girvin could be headed next to the Oklahoma Derby at Remington Park.
The Super Derby will be supported by six other stakes, all on the grass.
Trainer Brad Cox has entered seven horses in five of those stakes, chief among them Mr. Misunderstood in the Super Derby. The horse won the local prep, the Prelude, to earn a feespaid berth in the Super Derby.
Cox said the barn’s Louisiana Downs starters were to ship Wednesday night and arrive Thursday morning in Bossier City, La. He said all but Snack Shack, who goes in the $50,000 Tellike, will be coming in from Churchill Downs. Snack Shack is based in Indiana.
Jockeys help Harvey victims
Gerard Melancon, who will ride leading contender Sonneteer in the Super Derby on Saturday at Louisiana Downs, helped spearhead a drive for items needed by families displaced by Hurricane Harvey. Melancon and fellow rider Alexis Batista organized the Friday night donation event, held in the jockeys’ room at Evangeline Downs.
“All the jocks got together, and the valets, and put up a little something to help the people over there,” Melancon said, adding that the effort was aided by chaplain Dwight Brown.
Melancon said more than 50 cases of water were donated, along with badly needed diapers. The items were sent to a shelter in Lake Charles, La., that is housing displaced folks from Texas.
“I always like to try to help,” Melancon said. “I kind of asked all the jocks’ rooms around the country to maybe do something, too.”
Melancon will be riding Sonneteer for the first time in the Super Derby.
“I’ve watched all of his reruns,” Melancon said. “It looks like he’s a deep closer. He won his only start on the turf last out. He got through on the fence. I know he’s got a lot of heart. You can pass anywhere you need to pass with him. He’s definitely a live mount.”
Melancon won the Super Derby in 2004 with Fantasticat.
Others in racing who have stepped up to help those affected by Hurricane Harvey include Jim McIngvale, who raced the champion Runhappy. He opened his furniture-store showrooms to displaced residents of Houston. In addition, NTRA Charities, a subsidiary of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, announced Wednesday plans to donate $5,000 to the Penn National Gaming Foundation for the Sam Houston Race Park employees impacted by Hurricane Harvey. Sam Houston is co-owned by Penn National Gaming.
Quarter Horses to Lone Star
Fly Baby Fly, the winner of the $3 million All American Futurity on Monday at Ruidoso Downs, and Hold Air Hostage, who captured the $1.3 million All American Derby at the track Sunday, both are set to ship to Lone Star Park in the next few days, trainer Jimmy Padgett II said Wednesday.
Padgett said Fly Baby Fly is eligible for the trials for the $1 million Texas Classic Futurity at Lone Star, while Hold Air Hostage’s long-range goal is the Champion of Champions at Los Alamitos. Padgett said both horses will have an easy week, with X-rays to be taken to ensure both came out of their races in top shape.
Jessies First Down, the reigning world champion Quarter Horse, won the Grade 1, $200,000 All American Gold Cup on Sunday at Ruidoso, and also is headed to Lone Star. Padgett said Jessies First Down is being pointed for the Challenge Championship at Prairie Meadows.
“We’ll take him to Dallas, freshen him up, and get ready to run in that,” Padgett said.
Lone Star opens its Quarter Horse meet Sept. 15.
◗ Oaklawn Park released its condition book Wednesday, and maiden special weight races are worth $75,000, with no-conditions allowances worth $80,000. The track also announced that claiming races with a tag of $16,000 or more will be boosted in value from 16 to 30 percent over purse levels from 2017.