Track Phantom aims to make it a double in Lecomte; Silverbulletday attracts eight

Jan 14, 2024 Kellie Reilly/Brisnet.com

Track Phantom wins the Gun Runner S. at Fair Grounds (Photo by Hodges Photography)

After capturing the first Kentucky Derby (G1) points race at Fair Grounds, the Dec. 23 Gun Runner S., Track Phantom will try to confirm his status as the leading New Orleans sophomore in Saturday’s $200,000 Lecomte (G3). The Steve Asmussen trainee will meet a trio from the Brad Cox barn, including beaten Gun Runner favorite Nash and sharp debut winner Ethan Energy.

At this early stage of his career, Track Phantom can elicit a comparison with Asmussen’s champion three-year-old of 2022, Epicenter. Both scored maiden wins at Churchill Downs in November, then stepped up to take the Gun Runner in their stakes debut. Epicenter was upset in the Lecomte, though, before starring in the two remaining legs of the Fair Grounds series, the Risen Star (G2) and Louisiana Derby (G2). Second as the favorite in the 2022 Kentucky Derby and Preakness (G1), he clinched his Eclipse Award with sparkling victories in the Jim Dandy (G2) and Travers (G1) at Saratoga.

Track Phantom hopes to progress in similar fashion, with the same rider in Joel Rosario. Like Epicenter, he too has shown fine tactical speed. But Epicenter fared best when he learned to switch off and harness it more effectively. Early aggressiveness is what foiled him in the Lecomte two years ago, and it remains to be seen if Track Phantom will need to discover that lesson as well.

Nash had looked like the next big thing after his 10-length maiden rout at Churchill, fueling expectations as the 1-2 favorite in the Gun Runner. Thus it was anticlimactic when the Godolphin homebred could manage no better than third, two lengths behind Track Phantom. Yet Nash still boasts the highest career Brisnet Speed rating in the field, garnering a 97 for his maiden win, and the son of Medaglia d’Oro has every right to back that number up. Florent Geroux retains the mount.

The other two Cox runners, Ethan Energy and Awesome Road, bring contrasting profiles. Ethan Energy comes off a visually impressive maiden win on the Gun Runner undercard, over the Lecomte distance of 1 1/16 miles. Stonetreet Stables’ homebred by Uncle Mo rallied from about midpack to win going away by 5 1/4 lengths. Now he teams up with Luis Saez.

Awesome Road, on the other hand, has yet to fulfill the promise of his debut victory at Ellis Park last summer. A disappointing seventh in the Breeders’ Futurity (G1), he was last seen fading to fifth as the favorite in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2). But he’s by Quality Road, the same sire as Track Phantom, and perhaps new rider Axel Concepcion – an Eclipse Award finalist for champion apprentice jockey – can galvanize him.

Can Group is employing the turf-to-dirt angle for Mark Casse, making him vaguely reminiscent of Casse’s 2019 Lecomte hero, War of Will. The parallel is loose, since War of Will was competing well without winning on turf, and he broke his maiden in his first dirt try prior to the Lecomte. Can Group has yet to win on dirt, but he has won twice on turf, notably the Bourbon (G2) at Keeneland, and he comes off a hard-charging fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1). The question therefore is whether Can Group can perform up to that level on the dirt. Sire Good Samaritan was a major winner on both surfaces, including the 2018 New Orleans H. (G2) over this track.

Ken McPeek sends out recent maiden winner Lat Long, who finally broke through at Oaklawn Park after a series of placings. Runner-up to Track Phantom at Churchill two back, he was previously third to Dornoch, the full brother to reigning Kentucky Derby victor Mage and eventual Remsen (G2) winner.

Keith Desormeaux, who famously upset Epicenter a couple of years ago with Call Me Midnight, has two longshots in the line-up. Next Level, third in the Del Mar Futurity (G1) over the summer, takes the blinkers off following a remote last in the Gun Runner. Stablemate Tizzy Indy has even more to prove as a maiden claiming winner who’s been beaten by lesser.

The Lecomte is the 13th race (7 p.m. ET) on Road to the Derby Day at Fair Grounds, anchoring a six-stakes bonanza including the Silverbulletday S. (10th race at 5:30 p.m. ET) on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks. Both qualifiers offer points on the 20-10-6-4-2 scale to the top five finishers.

Contested over one mile and 70 yards, the Silverbulletday has attracted a field of eight fillies. The Cox-trained West Omaha and McPeek’s Sistina Chapel closed for second and third, respectively, in the Dec. 23 Untapable S. at this track and trip. They won’t have to renew rivalry with the loose-on-the-lead Untapable winner, Alpine Princess, and the pace dynamic also figures to be more contested.

The two most interesting newcomers to Fair Grounds are unbeaten Oklahoma-bred Miss Code West and Asmussen’s stakes debutante Perfect Shot. Miss Code West, 4-for-4 at her home track of Remington Park, proved herself in open company when romping in the Dec. 15 Trapeze S. – in faster time than the boys in the Springboard Mile. Perfect Shot, a daughter of Gun Runner, just graduated convincingly at Churchill.

Accommodate Eva went last-to-first in the six-furlong Louisiana Champions Day Lassie S. last out versus state-breds, but the Dallas Stewart trainee has to answer a distance question here. She was 10th in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) in her only prior route attempt, albeit a more ambitious one.

Noriskit Nobiscuit was most recently third in the My Trusty Cat S. for Tom Amoss, while Doug O’Neill’s Ma Rae’s Girl wired a Turfway Park allowance, and sprint maiden winner Play Good Pay Good makes her first start off the claim for Rob Atras.

Watch and wager on Road to the Derby Day at Fair Grounds on TwinSpires.com.

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