Emerging Market steps up in Louisiana Derby; Bella Ballerina heads Fair Grounds Oaks

A quartet of promising colts will attempt to make the big leap from maiden victories to a spot in the Kentucky Derby (G1) on Saturday in the $1 million Louisiana Derby (G2) at Fair Grounds.

A top-two finish in the 1 3/16-mile signature event of the New Orleans racing season would ensure any of the three a spot in Churchill Downs' starting gate on the first Saturday in May. However, a number of stakes veterans will make the task difficult.

Breaking in the outermost post 9 is the Chad Brown-trained Emerging Market, who earned a 99 Brisnet Speed rating for a debut win at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 7. He's a prime contender if he can duplicate that figure, but the close runner-up in that race, Powershift, failed to flatter the form when out of the money in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3).

Brad Cox has entered two recent graduates. Easterly was a convincing winner at Gulfstream second out in his two-turn debut, while Autobahn needed three starts to break through with a first win over nine furlongs.

Needing more attempts at a diploma was the Bob Baffert-trained Blacksmith, who finally got it done in start five at Santa Anita last month. However, one of his earlier setbacks was a second-place finish to stablemate Litmus Test in the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) in December.

The locally based runners with the best form are Chip Honcho and Golden Tempo. Chip Honcho captured the Gun Runner S. in December, finished fourth in the Lecomte (G3), and nearly lasted over Kentucky Derby favorite Paladin in the Risen Star (G2).

Golden Tempo, a deep closer, will be equipped with blinkers for the Louisiana Derby. Although successful in rallying from 10 lengths down to win the Lecomte, he managed to make up little actual ground when settling for third in the Risen Star.

Also among the field are Sunland Park Derby winner Pavlovian and the multiple graded-placed Universe.

Kentucky Derby qualifying points of 100-50-25-15-10 will be awarded to the respective top five finishers.

A similar distribution of Kentucky Oaks (G1) points will go to the top five in the $400,000 Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) at 1 1/16 miles. The expected strong favorite is the undefeated Bella Ballerina, who captured the Golden Rod (G2) in November and then re-rallied to win her season debut in the Rachel Alexandra (G2) five weeks ago.

Back to oppose is Luv Your Neighbor, who has run second in four consecutive starts at Fair Grounds this winter. Most have been hard-luck cases, but she seemingly had no excuse when hanging late after taking a short lead from Bella Ballerina in the Rachel Alexandra.

Stakes-winning Life of Joy was recently second to Kentucky Oaks favorite Zany in the Suncoast S., while the promising Love and Trust steps up in class off a notable maiden win over the track and distance. Newtown Pike and Maximum Offer were beaten narrowly in the Martha Washington S. at Oaklawn last time, though the winning Search Party was subsequently no factor in the Honeybee (G3).