Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Noble Indy adding blinkers
Trainer Todd Pletcher already has taken down the Holy Bull Stakes with Audible and the Rebel Stakes with Magnum Moon, but if he wins a third Kentucky Derby prep race, the $1 million Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds, Pletcher will be bucking his own history.
Noble Indy finished a solidif-unspectacular third Feb. 17 in the Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds. Pletcher and jockey John Velazquez believe the colt has more to give, and in an effort to bring forth a fuller breadth of Noble Indy’s talent, Pletcher will race him in blinkers for the first time Saturday.
“He galloped out in front last time,” said Pletcher. “Sometimes that means something, sometimes it doesn’t.”
Pletcher has done just fine with horses adding blinkers, having won with 21 percent of 267 such starters over the last five years, according to Daily Racing Form statistics. But filter the data to include only graded stakes races for 3-yearolds during the same period, and starters from the barn have compiled a record of 0-1-2 from 12 starts. The most recent such runner is Vino Rosso, who was fourth at odds of 2-1 on March 10 in the Tampa Bay Derby. The first horse in the sample is Palace Malice, who added blinkers for the Kentucky Derby and ran like he was being chased by wolves early in the race before laboring home 12th.
Pletcher took those blinkers off for the Belmont Stakes, and Palace Malice won, and there’s no question we’re dealing here with an expert trainer whose tinkering often produces desired results. A dozen horses don’t make an immutable trend, and Noble Indy wouldn’t have to move up massively to win the Louisiana Derby.
Moreover, after winning his first two starts mainly on raw ability, Noble Indy had a more complicated and demanding experience in the Risen Star, where he was taken back to race behind and inside rivals for the first time.
“He was a little bit intimidated inside,” Pletcher said. “While there was space to move into, he was a little shy about going up there. We think that the blinkers will take care of him being a little shy of other horses.”
Noble Indy has worked in blinkers since the Risen Star, but there was never an issue with getting the horse to focus in his breezes, Pletcher said. Noble Indy has merely been getting used to running around the track with a more limited field of vision. He and Velazquez have post 2 Saturday, with horses drawn to the outside likely more intent on making the lead. Noble Indy’s connections should quickly get a fair read on whether this equipment change has been for the better.
Price representing Lanerie
Jockey Corey Lanerie will be represented by agent Richie Price when the Keeneland race meet begins April 6.
The pairing definitely was not premeditated. Price’s rider, Miguel Mena, was injured in a spill March 15 at Fair Grounds. Mena broke bones in his heel and ankle. He was to see an orthopedic specialist Wednesday, after which a more detailed time line for his return could emerge, but Price said this week that Mena, the leading rider at the meet before he got hurt, could be out of action for as long as six months.
Lanerie tragically lost his agent, Lenny Pike, over the weekend. Pike, 59, was found dead in his condominium Saturday in New Orleans.
Lanerie, a native Louisianan, has wintered in Florida for several seasons but returned to ride regularly at Fair Grounds this winter for the first time in five years. He has 51 winners from 331 mounts this winter, but after taking his calls this Saturday, Lanerie must serve a suspension that rules him out for the remainder of the meet, which ends March 31. Lanerie can resume race riding when Keeneland opens its spring meet.
Lanerie, 43, has been the second-leading rider at the last two Keeneland spring meets, but it’s at Churchill Downs where he’s done his best work, winning nearly every meet riding title since the spring of 2012.
Clark out of hospital after spill
Jockey Kerwin Clark was released from the University Medical Center in New Orleans on Tuesday to his home in the New Orleans area, his agent, Charles Ashy Jr., said Wednesday.
Clark went down in an ugly three-horse accident during the eighth race March 15 at Fair Grounds. Clark’s mount, Ellashoo, broke down on the far turn of the dirt sprint while on the lead and racing along the fence, leading to a chain reaction involving two trailing horses.
Clark broke at least one rib, which led to a collapsed lung, and broke his jaw, an injury that required extensive surgery March 16. Clark had a breathing tube inserted into his chest, but that was removed Tuesday, Ashy said.
Clark, 58, has ridden more than 3,000 North American winners in a career that began in 1976 and included stints overseas.
◗ Calamity Jane should get the strong early and middle pace she needs to get up for a second straight win in the featured eighth race Friday. The feature is a turf-sprint allowance with a $35,000 claiming option and is restricted to Louisiana-bred fillies and mares. The field is packed with speed elements, and Calamity Jane should be rolling late under Jack Gilligan.
◗ Testing One Two has been cross-entered in the Fair Grounds Oaks and the Crescent City Oaks on Saturday’s card and is likely to start in the latter race, according to Fair Grounds racing officials. Marmello has been cross-entered in a maiden race and the Louisiana Derby, is likely for the derby.