French Park favored at Fair Grounds

Saturday's "Road to the Derby Kickoff Day" features four $250,000 stakes --

the Risen Star (G3),

Silverbulletday (G3),

Bayou Breeders' Cup H. (G3) and

Duncan F. Kenner Breeders' Cup H. -- at the Fair Grounds at Louisiana Downs

meet. The unbeaten FRENCH PARK (Ecton Park), who will make her three-year-old

bow in the Silverbulletday, is one of the top draws on the program.

Trained by Helen Pitts, French Park broke her maiden by 12 1/4 lengths at

Keeneland and followed with a 1 3/4-length score in the one-mile Pocahontas S.

(G3) at Churchill Downs. She wrapped up her juvenile campaign with a smart win

in the 1 1/16-mile Golden Rod S. (G2), her first start around two turns. The

gray miss will face seven rivals in her return to the races, including SEEN

DANCING (Souvenir Copy), winner of the Gowell S. at Turfway Park last out; the

Todd Pletcher-trained CAPOZZENE (Capote), who is a stakes victress; and DEVINE

LAUGHTER (Saint Ballado), who exits an easy score over the track against

optional-claiming rivals.

The complete field for the 1 1/16-mile Silverbulletday, from the rail with

riders, is WILD TONIGHT (Wild Again), John Jacinto; CINTAROSA (Grand Slam),

Corey Lanerie; HOOCHIE GLIDE (High Yield), Terry Thompson; Seen Dancing, Luis

Quinonez; French Park, Calvin Borel; BAGHDARIA (Royal Academy), Clifton Berry;

Capozzene, Robby Albarado; and Devine Laughter, Roman Chapa.

French Park will carry 122 pounds, the rest 116.

In the 8 1/2-furlong Risen Star, the counterpart to the Silverbulletday,

SAINT AUGUSTUS (Saint Ballado) will challenge for favoritism. The Pletcher-trained

colt broke his maiden by 8 1/2 lengths, placed in the Storm Cat S. and then

broke through with a 2 1/2-length score in the What a Pleasure S. at Calder.

HYTE REGENCY (Diligence) is another top contender, winning a listed grass race

at Louisiana Downs prior to a good third behind Private Vow (Broken Vow) in the

Kentucky Jockey Club S. (G2) at Churchill Downs. MIDWAY MAN (Awesome Again)

enters off a five-length maiden score locally for Asmussen.

Recent maiden winner RED BORDEAUX (Gulch) will lead the post parade under

Carlos Gonzalez. Next comes MARK OF SUCCESS (Mt. Livermore), Borel; Hyte

Regency, Lanerie; LAWYER RON (Langfuhr), John McKee; MALAMEEZE (Saint Ballado),

Jacinto; Midway Man, Chapa; and Saint Augustus, Albarado.

Saint Augustus and Lawyer Ron will tote 118 pounds, the rest 116.

Eight distaffers will square off over 1 1/16 miles in the grassy Bayou

Breeders' Cup, and the Christophe Clement-trained SNOWDROPS (GB) (Gulch) is the

119-pound highweight. The six-year-old mare exits a win in the My Charmer H.

(G3) at Calder and also captured the Suwannee River H. (G3) and Politely S. last

season. Stakes winners LENATAREESE (Broad Brush), VOZ DE COLEGIALA (Chi) (Sayaret)

and BLACK ROCK ROAD (Bertrando) are among her rivals in the eight-horse field.

Nine sprinters will contest the Duncan F. Kenner Breeders' Cup, and the

eight-year-old BEAU'S TOWN (Beau Genius) will return off a lengthy vacation for

trainer Cole Norman in the six-furlong event. Winner of the Bing Crosby

Breeders' Cup H. (G2) and Count Fleet Sprint H. (G3) in 2003, the classy veteran

will make his first appearance since finishing a close third in the 2004

Thanksgiving H. at Fair Grounds.

Norman also has a dangerous entry in TOP COMMANDER (Kingmambo) and GRAND BANK

(Dixieland Band), and Beverly Fowler will send out RODEO'S CASTLE (Rodeo), a

two-time stakes winner last year and second in the Thanksgiving H. most

recently.