Lecomte J

AMERICAN

GRADED STAKES PREVIEWS

Saturday is the Road to the Derby Kickoff Day at Fair Grounds, and the

$100,000 Lecomte S. (G3) is the first of two prep races for the $600,000

Louisiana Derby (G2) on March 10 at the New Orleans track. There is plenty of

anticipation surrounding the one-mile event as Fox Hill Farms' HARD SPUN (Danzig) will make his

graded debut, and we'll look for him to remain unbeaten.

Trained by Larry Jones, Hard Spun has won all three races by daylight, taking

a maiden special weight and the Port Penn S. at Delaware Park before recording a

7 3/4-length score in the Pennsylvania Nursery S. last out. The bay colt won

with plenty in reserve all three times, registering respectable BRIS Speed

ratings of 95, 94 and 92, and all three starts came sprinting. Hard Spun is bred

to improve at longer distances, and he's trained forwardly at Oaklawn Park in

preparation for his two-turn debut. He'll likely be a prominent factor from the

start with regular rider Mario Pino.

MAKEITHAPENCAPTAIN (Aptitude) will likely show speed from the rail. An

overwhelming 16 1/4-length allowance/optional claiming winner last time, the

Bret Calhoun-trained colt didn't face much in that 1 1/16-mile event at

Hawthorne, but he certainly did it the right way and distance doesn't look like

any problem for the dark bay colt. Makeithapencaptain will move up on a wet

track, and he's a threat to last a long way regardless of track conditions under

Corey Lanerie.

IZZIE'S HALO (Halo's Image) rolled to a stirring 8 1/4-length maiden special

weight win at Fair Grounds last out, and the Tom Amoss runner owns stakes

experience, finishing second by a neck in the 1 1/16-mile Cradle S. last

September and fourth in the Kentucky Cup Juvenile S. (G3). The chestnut colt has

earned some decent Speed ratings, and we can't dismiss him from top three

consideration.

TEUFLESBERG (Johannesburg) could compete for favoritism with Hard Spun, but

we have our doubts about his chances around two turns. The Jamie Sanders pupil has

recorded a pair of sharp victories in his last two starts, including a 2

3/4-length tally in the Sugar Bowl S. at Fair Grounds most recently, but both

races have come at six furlongs and Teuflesberg didn't show much in his only two

starts at a route. He might be able to handle a mile here, but we'll try to beat Teuflesberg.

TONY TERRIFIC (Gone West) steps up off a turf allowance win for Michael

Stidham. A sharp debut maiden winner from off the pace at Keeneland, the dark

bay colt will be running late in this spot. We'll give him a race at this

level, but wouldn't be surprised to see him earn a small share. BETA CAPO (Langfuhr)

has done well at the distance so far (6-2-1-0), but he might find this company

too difficult. CITI SMOKE (Smoke Glacken) doesn't look fast enough to be a

serious factor.