Eagle & the Lecomte Stakes

Today, another good Derby prep race at the Fairgrounds in New Orleans–the Lecomte Stakes. Post time is 5:24 pm CST for this 1 mile and 70 yard race. The winner of the Lecomte Stakes the past two years went on to compete in the Kentucky Derby.

2013 winner Oxbow finished 6th in the Kentucky Derby, won the Preakness Stakes and finished 2nd in the Belmont Stakes.

2014 winner Vicar’s in Trouble won the Louisiana Derby but had a disappointing last place finish in the Kentucky Derby.

This year’s Lecomte Stakes field lacks starpower but makes up for it in depth. There is speed on the inside, in the middle and on the outside. There are as many as seven horses that I can see winning this race but here is my top four:

1) Eagle – 3/1 Morning Line Odds. He ranked 10th in my Twelve Terrific 2015 Kentucky Derby Contenders. 4 starts, 2 wins. He will have to overcome a bad outside post draw and I think he likes distance.

2) International Star – 8/1 Morning Line Odds. 6 starts, 2 wins. I think this horse likes turf better than dirt. He drew the dreaded rail  (inside post) but if he gets out to a great start, he has the speed to wire this field.

3) Tiznow R J – 5/1 Morning Line Odds. 3 starts, 1 win. This Steve Asmussen trained horse won in his last start at the Fairgrounds at the same 1 Mile and 70 yard distance with a time of 1:43.71

4) Runhappy – 8/1 Morning Line Odds. 1 start, 1 win. This is a horse to keep an eye on the rest of the year because he is raw but has great speed. With more training and experience, he could be a Kentucky Derby surprise contender. Check out the video below of his first and only start in which he earned an 83 Beyer Speed figure. He is charges towards the front from seemingly nowhere, he is sloppy in form, drifts out wide going around the turn and runs erratically coming down the stretch.


Other horses that could win: Another Lemon Drop (6/1 Odds riden by Calvin Borel), Todd Pletchr’s Savoy Stomp (8/1 Odds) and War Story (9/5 Odds). This race is so wide-open that I would probably just make small wagers on a couple of my top four to win depending on their odds and just enjoy the race.
—Michael