On Saturday at Fair Grounds, the road to the Kentucky Derby will begin with the $200,000 Lecomte Stakes. Restricted to three-year-olds, the Grade 3 race will be contested at a mile and seventy yards and has drawn a full field of fourteen with one additional listed as also-eligible.
Mo Tom has been tabbed as the morning line favorite in the wide open field at odds of 7-2 for trainer Tom Amoss. A dark bay son of Uncle Mo, he was purchased for $150,000 as a yearling and has been on the board in all four starts. He will be trying to earn his third career victory and first graded stakes win. He was last seen finishing third in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (G2) and will have Corey Lanerie aboard from post position seven.
Second choice at morning line odds of 6-1 is Destin for trainer Todd Pletcher. A gray son of Giant’s Causeway, he is a full brother to graded stakes winner Creative Cause and was a $400,000 purchase as a yearling. He will be stepping up to stakes competition for the first time after breaking his maiden at first asking and finishing second in an optional claiming race. Julian Leparoux will be aboard and they will break from post position thirteen.
Also in the field at morning line odds of 10-1 is Dolphus, one of two horses in the race for trainer Joe Sharp. A chestnut son of Lookin at Lucky, he is a half-brother to Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra. He broke his maiden in his career debut and finished third in his next start, an optional claiming race. He will be making his stakes debut and will have jockey Brian Hernandez, Jr. in the irons from post position five.
The field is set for the $1 million Haskell, where Nyquist will be trying to re-stake his claim as the top three-year-old in the country.
On Sunday at Monmouth Park, the featured race is the $300,000 United Nations Stakes. Scheduled to be run at a mile and three-eighths on the turf, the Grade 1 event has drawn a field of ten colts and geldings.
On Sunday at Monmouth Park, the featured race is the $150,000 Pegasus Stakes, a key prep race for the Haskell Invitational (G1). The Grade 3 event will be contested at a mile and a sixteenth and has drawn a field of seven three-year-olds.
With five grade 1 races and a grade 2, the undercard for the June 11 Belmont stakes could be the best single day of racing on the calendar outside of the Breeders’ Cup.
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