According to the Fair Grounds Barn Notes for February 17th, the talented stakes winner Saint’s Fan is a possible starter for the $1,000,000 Louisiana Derby (gr. II) at Fair Grounds on April 1st, but may not run again before that race.
Owned, bred, and trained by Dallas Stewart, the son of Tale of Ekati finished third in the February 11th Louisiana Bred Premier Night Prince Stakes at Delta Downs, beaten just 3 1/2 lengths despite a tricky trip while racing over an unfamiliar six-furlong “bullring” racetrack.
“What I might do is train him up to the Louisiana Derby,” Stewart was quoted as saying. “The seven weeks should be good for him. He came out of his race in great shape and, as you can see, is feeling good. He needed the race. If we don’t go there, we might go to the ($75,000) Crescent City Derby on the same day. We’ll give him a chance to prove he can go two turns before deciding what to do with him next. There are always races like the Pat Day Mile around one turn after that.”
Prior to his defeat in the Prince Stakes, Saint’s Fan had been unbeaten in two starts, breaking his maiden at Churchill Downs before overcoming a slow start to rally and win the six-furlong Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile Stakes at Fair Grounds.
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