Trainer Kenny McPeek will double up in the Super Derby on Saturday when he sends out Real Men Violin and Django in the richest race of the meet at Louisiana Downs.
The horses will start as leading contenders in the $250,000 stakes being run at 1 1/8 miles. It drew 11 and anchors a nine-race card that has an early first post of 3:05 p.m. Central.
McPeek’s lone Super Derby starter came in 1999, when Pineaff finished third behind Ecton Park and Menifee. This year, McPeek won the Kentucky Derby with Mystik Dan and has won nine stakes for 3-year-olds with five different horses, including Kentucky Oaks heroine Thorpedo Anna.
Django and Real Men Violin will both be looking to nail down their first stakes wins. Real Men Violin enters off a third-place finish in the St. Louis Derby on Aug. 24.
“It was another solid effort,” McPeek said. “He’s been knocking on the door in listed stakes races. He’s not won one, but he’s always run respectable. He’s just got to find another gear to get over the hump in stakes company.”
Earlier this year, Real Men Violin was second in the Illinois Derby and third in the Texas Derby. He will add blinkers in the Super Derby for Tilted Shamrock Stables.
“The owner mentioned [the equipment], and I said it can’t hurt anything,” McPeek said. “We’ll tag them on him and see what happens.”
Colby Hernandez has the mount from post 3.
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Django starts from post 2 off a fourth-place finish in the Curlin on July 19 at Saratoga. He finished six lengths behind Unmatched Wisdom, who was winning his third straight race.
“We were trying to chase a little black type,” McPeek said. “He ran respectable, just a notch below the winner.
“He seems to be going in the right direction, like he’s evolving into a better and better horse, so we’ve been pretty well pleased with his last several runs.”
Django was a maiden special weight winner over 1 1/8 miles in June at Churchill Downs.
Emmanuel Esquivel has the mount for Cypress Creek Equine and KK Thoroughbred Racing.
“Django is a horse that needs a little pace in front of him,” McPeek said. “That’s kind of normal for him.”
Tdzshininluckystar, who won a division of the Louisiana Stallion Stakes at a mile last out at Evangeline Downs, could show speed from his rail post. He also could be peppered by Cali Dreamin, who is stretching out off a wire-to-wire maiden special weight sprint win at Louisiana Downs.
Others who could be prominent include Regalo, who won the Petramalo Mile in a long battle on the lead Aug. 11 at Colonial Downs, and Runnin Munnin, who is coming off a pair of wire jobs at Evangeline.
Cornishman has tactical speed, and the son of Curlin and the Grade 2-winning mare Penwith could get an ideal trip from just off the pace. Timothy Thornton has the mount for Godolphin and trainer Brad Cox.
Uno Mas Bourbon, who could get a good stalking trip, was a close third last out in an allowance won by Most Wanted, who returned in his next start to capture the Ellis Park Derby. Francisco Arrieta has the mount for trainer Ian Wilkes.
Carolo Rapido was a winner over 1 1/8 miles last out in an allowance at Ellis. The Donegal Clan is back racing with straight 3-year-olds after meeting older horses at Evangeline.
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