There appear to be very few clear-cut favorites on the $450,000 Louisiana Cup card of six divisional stakes Saturday at Louisiana Downs.
“It’s wide open,” said trainer Shane Wilson, who will start a handful of runners led by Behemah Star in the $75,000 Turf Classic. “I told my son if people can pick winners on Saturday, they’re going to make money.”
There were 15 horses entered for the Turf Classic, with Sunday Breeze entered for the main track only and House Bourbon and Wicked Street on the also-eligible list for the 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-olds and up bred in Louisiana.
Woods and Water won the race a year ago and just accounted for the local prep, which figures to make him the favorite. However, he will have to get the job done from post 12, and faces a thriving Behemah Star.
Behemah Star won the Louisiana Champions Day Turf in December at Fair Grounds, along with the Star Guitar Stakes and another allowance that meet while putting up a strong string of Beyer Speed Figures. He might fly under the radar a bit Saturday off an eighth-place finish in the Louisiana Legends Turf in which he was favored June 1 at Evangeline Downs.
“I think his last race is just a throw-out,” Wilson said. “He has a habit of getting fired up in the starting gate. He did really good at the Fair Grounds, schooling him and stuff. He got over to Evangeline and I guess under the lights, and it was raining that night, and in the starting gate he started kicking the back doors and he actually got one of his legs hung up inside the gate.
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“We gave him a little time to get over that, did some chiropractic work, and he’s back 100 percent now. He’s doing super. He’s very aggressive in his training now. I think we’ll see the Behemah Star that ran on Champions Day at the Fair Grounds, or any of those other races.”
Emmanuel Nieves has the mount from post 10 for breeder and owner Brittlyn Stable.
“He likes to be up in the race,” Wilson said of Behemah Star. “It seems like whenever he gets up into the race and gets his head into the fight, he gets aggressive and wants to go win the race. Hopefully, we get a better break this time and get up into the race.”
Brittlyn Stable and Wilson will team with Clearly a Test in the $75,000 Filly and Mare Sprint. The six-furlong race will be her first start against older rivals. She will start from post 6 as she cuts back from a win around two turns in the Louisiana Stallion Stakes at Evangeline.
“I think the speed will get away from her earlier,” Wilson said. “I’d like to be mid-pack, swing into the middle of the [stretch], and make one run at the end and see if we’re good enough to get to them.
“This is a really, really good filly. Everything about her makes you think she’s going to get better the older she is.”
For the $75,000 Sprint, Wilson has a longshot in Mike J.
“I look for him to run a big race,” he said. “We tried him on turf last time with his pedigree and he didn’t handle the turf at all. But he’s come back and worked super good.
“Handicapping the race, I don’t really see anybody who wants to the lead in there. So, if I can sneak away from that two-hole and get loose, they might have a hard time with him in there.
“There’s some good horses in there, but he’s run some big races in the past. He sure is a handful to get off the track and get home right now. He comes back bucking and kicking. He’s pretty fired up.”
Wilson has Box of Pictures in the $75,000 Distaff at 1 1/16 miles on turf. The race drew 14, with one runner entered for the main track and another on the also-eligible list.
Warrior’s Justice might be the shortest price of the stakes starters when she runs in the $75,000 Juvenile Fillies. The daughter of Justify and stakes winner Warrior Maid won a maiden special weight by more than five lengths at Horseshoe Indianapolis. The Beyer Speed Figure of 75 she earned is the best career number in the field.
In the $75,000 Juvenile, Big Rasee will be one of the final career starters for trainer Karl Broberg. He is moving into bloodstock work and developing young horses at his farm at the end of September.
“My final starter will be there at the conclusion of the Louisiana Downs meet,” said Broberg.
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Big Rasee was a maiden winner at 4 1/2 furlongs at Lone Star Park and was third last out in the D.S. “Shine” Young Futurity at 5 1/2 furlongs at Evangeline.
“He’d be more live in this spot if race was five furlongs instead of five and a half,” Broberg said. “I think speed is his game.
“Who knows, maybe he’ll surprise me to the upside.”
The Saturday card that could be full of surprises.
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