Photo:

Jessica Morgan / Eclipse Sportswire

Coming off a 4-year-old campaign in which he strung together three graded-stakes wins, Kentucky Derby 149 alumnus Hit Show is set to make his next start in the Grade 3, $175,000 Louisiana Stakes on Saturday at Fair Grounds.

One of six stakes slated for the card, the 1 1/16-mile Louisiana attracted a field of 10 older males, including 2024 Lecomte (G3) winner Track Phantom, who will make his third start since his run in the 150th Kentucky Derby.

Trained by Brad Cox, Hit Show’s hot streak this summer and fall included the Fayette (G2), the Lukas Classic (G2) and the West Virginia Governor’s (G3). Fifth in the 2023 Derby, four of the gray horse’s seven wins have come going longer than the Louisiana’s task of 8 1/2 furlongs. The 5-year-old son of Candy Ride was tabbed as the 5-2 morning-line favorite in what will be his first local start. Florent Geroux will reunite with Hit Show, who drew the rail.

One year since his victory in the 2024 Lecomte, Track Phantom will be making his second local start as a 4-year-old, his third since finishing 11th in last year’s Kentucky Derby. Last out the Steve Asmussen trainee led the Tenacious pack but could not fend off Saudi Crown, fading to fourth after setting honest fractions. A new pilot will take the reins on Saturday, as Brian Hernandez Jr. will break Track Phantom from post 8.

Chief among their competition are Skinner and Maycocks Bay, both of whom flirted with a run for the roses. Previously trained by John Shirreffs, Skinner had earned a spot along Hit Show in Kentucky Derby 149 but was scratched after spiking a fever. After a quiet 4-year-old campaign, Skinner already has made noise as a 5-year-old, taking the Native Dancer (G3) at Santa Anita before being transferred to Cherie DeVaux’s barn. In his first local breeze, the son of Curlin covered four furlongs in 47.8 seconds, the fastest of 67 on Dec. 31. The current meet-leading rider Jose Ortiz will pilot Skinner from post 5.

Maycocks Bay was the morning-line favorite in the Southwest Stakes (G3), a Kentucky Derby points prep at Oaklawn, but was scratched after spiking a fever. Trained by Mike Stidham, the Speightstown colt didn’t return to the races until early December, winning a local second-level allowance going 1 1/16 miles. Drawing the far outside post, Maycocks Bay will be guided by Ben Curtis.

Post	Silks	Horse / Sire	Rating	Trainer / Jockey	Last Start / Next Start	HRN
1		Hit Show Candy Ride	7.12	Brad H. Cox Florent Geroux	5th, 2024 Clark Stakes G2 2025 Louisiana Stakes G3	5-2
Last Race Next Race		5th, 2024 Clark Stakes G2 2025 Louisiana Stakes G3
2		Warrior Johny Cairo Prince	5.59	Philip A. Bauer Jaime Torres	3rd, 2024 Tenacious LS 2025 Louisiana Stakes G3	10-1
Last Race Next Race		3rd, 2024 Tenacious LS 2025 Louisiana Stakes G3
3		Pipeline Speightstown	6.05	Cherie DeVaux Luis Saez	6th, 2024 Cigar Mile G2 2025 Louisiana Stakes G3	12-1
Last Race Next Race		6th, 2024 Cigar Mile G2 2025 Louisiana Stakes G3
4		Heroic Move Quality Road	5.79	Robertino Diodoro Harry Hernandez	1st, Zia Park Championship S. 2025 Louisiana Stakes G3	8-1
Last Race Next Race		1st, Zia Park Championship S. 2025 Louisiana Stakes G3
5		Skinner Curlin	7.01	Cherie DeVaux Jose L. Ortiz	1st, 2024 Native Diver Stakes G3 2025 Louisiana Stakes G3	9-2
Last Race Next Race		1st, 2024 Native Diver Stakes G3 2025 Louisiana Stakes G3
6		Cooke Creek Uncle Mo	5.48	Michael J. Maker Joel Rosario	6th, 2024 Clark Stakes G2 2025 Louisiana Stakes G3	9-2
Last Race Next Race		6th, 2024 Clark Stakes G2 2025 Louisiana Stakes G3
7		Velocitor Mor Spirit	5.94	Gary M. Scherer David Cohen	5th, 2024 Tenacious LS 2025 Colonel E. R. Bradley Stakes LS	15-1
Last Race Next Race		5th, 2024 Tenacious LS 2025 Colonel E. R. Bradley Stakes LS
8		Track Phantom Quality Road	7.22	Steven M. Asmussen Brian J. Hernandez, Jr.	4th, 2024 Tenacious LS 2025 Louisiana Stakes G3	8-1
Last Race Next Race		4th, 2024 Tenacious LS 2025 Louisiana Stakes G3
9		Komorebino Omoide California Chrome	5.89	Robertino Diodoro Gerard Melancon	4th, 2024 Thanksgiving Classic LS 2025 Louisiana Stakes G3	8-1
Last Race Next Race		4th, 2024 Thanksgiving Classic LS 2025 Louisiana Stakes G3
10		Maycocks Bay Speightstown	5.71	Michael Stidham Ben Curtis	1st, FG AOC (12/07/2024-R7) 2025 Louisiana Stakes G3	10-1
Last Race Next Race		1st, FG AOC (12/07/2024-R7) 2025 Louisiana Stakes G3