Highly Wicked had a makeover of sorts this past winter and her newfound style has led to five stakes wins in her last five starts – a streak she will be looking to continue Saturday in the $75,000 Louisiana Cup Distaff at Louisiana Downs.
The 1 1/16-mile turf race for fillies and mares is one of six divisional stakes on the annual Louisiana Cup card. The races are restricted to horses bred in Louisiana and purses are worth a cumulative $450,000. There is a special first post of 3:35 p.m. Central to accommodate an eight-race card, said Roxanne Tanner, director of racing for Louisiana Downs.
Highly Wicked is the headliner Saturday. She is 9 for 9 on turf overall and began her current streak in December with a win in the Louisiana Champions Day Ladies Turf at Fair Grounds and proceeded to win that track’s Red Camelia. Highly Wicked then moved to her current base of Evangeline Downs and reeled off wins in the First Lady of Louisiana Stakes, the Louisiana Legends Distaff Turf, and the Opelousas over open company in her most recent start July 5.
“She’s been very special for us,” said Sam David Jr., who trains Highly Wicked for breeders Earl Hernandez, Keith Hernandez, and John Duvieilh.
David said Highly Wicked – whose streak has been built on turf – began taking her game to a new level several months ago.
“She used to be kind of one dimensional, was much better on the lead, and wanted the lead all the time,” he said. “And then over this last winter, over at Fair Grounds, she started settling for [jockey] Marcelino [Pedroza Jr.] a little bit and he was able to start rating her and that’s really made her blossom.
“She didn’t have to go to the lead all the time and hook horses and try to hang on. She was able to start rating, got a little more mature, and has been able to give us a kick through the lane instead of early.”
Highly Wicked is part of a field of seven for the Distaff. The group includes Norah G, winner of the Evangeline Downs Distaff on dirt in May, and Rising Inflation, whose last two wins came in a pair of off-the-turf allowances at Evangeline by a combined margin of 32 1/2 lengths. She will be a new challenge for Highly Wicked, as will the John Franks course at Louisiana Downs.
“Anytime you have to ship and also change courses – she’s never been on that course – anytime you have to do that, it’s a concern,” David said. “But the way she handles everything, I don’t feel too upset about it. So far, she’s handled everything we’ve thrown at her and gone about her business. So, I think she’ll handle everything, but it’s just doing it.”
Highly Wicked’s last four wins have come at a mile, and she will be picking up a bit of real estate Saturday when she breaks from post 3.
“The way she’s been handling being able to rate, I think that will help us more than hurt us,” David said. “I think she’ll be able to sit off the speed a little bit. I think it will help her in the long run.”
Rising Inflation has made one start on turf, and was third in a maiden special weight when based on the East Coast with trainer Chad Brown. The Louisiana-bred has made her last two starts for Jonathan Wong, who has given the mount to jockey Isaac Castillo.
Landry has favored sprinters
Trainer Allen Landry has the probable favorites in the two Louisiana Cup races for older sprinters. He’s Just Lucky is looking to win his third straight race in the $75,000 Sprint and Six String is seeking to defend her title in the $75,000 Filly and Mare Sprint.
He’s Just Lucky won the Louisiana Legends Sprint by 6 1/2 lengths on June 7 at Evangeline and the Beyer Speed Figure of 100 that he earned is the best career number in the eight-horse Sprint. He’s raced once since, winning an allowance over open company at Evangeline with a Beyer of 90.
“He’s been fantastic lately,” Landry said. “He’s doing so good. He’s run his heart out.”
He’s Just Lucky, who has won his last two starts on the front end, will break from post 3 under Jansen Melancon.
“We’ll kind of let it play out and see what happens,” Landry said. “If somebody wants to shoot out there and take the lead, we don’t have to. But if they let him get out there by himself, they could have a problem. We’ll play it by ear.”
Six String enters off a runner-up finish in an Aug. 1 allowance at Evangeline. Overall, she is 9 for 18 and Landry is looking for another good performance Saturday.
“She’s Six String,” he said. “She’s going to be herself. She’s always game. She runs her race. Honest filly.
“Her heart is bigger than her body.”
◗ Allnight Moonlight defends his title in the $75,000 Turf Classic.
◗ The unbeaten Gangster Flash will seek her second straight stakes win in the $75,000 Juvenile Fillies.
◗ Mor Force is the one to beat in the $75,000 Juvenile.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.