Prayer for Relief faces eight in Super Derby

PRAYER FOR RELIEF (Jump Start) will put his three-race winning skein on the

line while taking on eight rivals in the $500,000

Super

Derby (G2) at Louisiana Downs on Saturday. The 1 1/8-mile contest is the

feature event on a stakes-loaded card that also includes the $150,000

Sunday Silence S. and $100,000

Happy

Ticket S. for juveniles.

The Bob Baffert-trained Prayer for Relief began his career in California, but

dropped his initial two starts on Del Mar's Polytrack last year. The dark bay

colt seemed to take to the Cushion Track much better, breaking his maiden next

out and running second in the Real Quiet S. at Hollywood Park. That November 6

event marked Prayer for Relief's juvenile finale, and he returned a winner on

May 29 when taking an allowance at the Inglewood, California, venue.

Baffert decided to give his charge a shot on the main dirt track at Prairie

Meadows when entering Prayer for Relief in the Iowa Derby (G3), and the

Kentucky-bred colt responded with a two-length decision. The sophomore continued

his winning ways last out in the West Virginia Derby (G2) going nine furlongs,

and will keep jockey Rafael Bejarano in the saddle for Saturday's race.

While Prayer for Relief is looking to add to his tally, ALTERNATION

(Distorted Humor) will attempt to get back on the winning track. The Donnie Von

Hemel pupil broke his maiden, took an optional claimer and an allowance over the

winter, then came back from a short break to put in a good rally for fifth while

making his stakes debut in the Arkansas Derby (G1) on April 16.

Alternation broke through with his first black-type credit when taking the

Peter Pan S. (G2) at Belmont Park, then was given a 2 1/2-month vacation before

returning to be fourth in the Jim Dandy S. (G2) most recently to next-out

Travers S. (G1) hero Stay Thirsty (Bernardini). Ramon Dominguez was aboard for

Alternation's Peter Pan and Jim Dandy runs, and retains the mount on Saturday.

While Prayer for Relief and Alternation have been given plenty of time to

prepare for the Super Derby, MALIBU GLOW (Malibu Moon) will take a shot at the

race off a two-week turnaround. The George Weaver runner was fifth in both the

Dwyer S. (G2) and Travers with a win against allowance rivals sandwiched in

between. Also entered in the race are the respective top two from the Super

Derby Prelude, TRUBS (First Samurai) and POPULIST POLITICS (Don't Get Mad), as

well as Barbaro S. winner AWESOME BET (Awesome Again), who was fifth by 3 1/4

lengths in the West Virginia Derby last out.

Prior to the Super Derby, a field of 12 juvenile colts and geldings will take

to the track in the Sunday Silence S. The one-mile turf contest has drawn the

likes of stakes winners INDIAN ASSAULT (Indian Ocean), TOP CAT BOOGIE (Big Top

Cat) and TEQUILA FACTOR (Pure Prize). The Happy Ticket, going a grassy mile

three races earlier on the card, features a field of 10 two-year-old fillies,

including Princess S. victress LITTLE MS PROTOCOL (El Corredor) and undefeated

stakes heroine EXCHANTED (Exchange Rate).

Older horses will get their turn in the spotlight in the

Unbridled S. and

River

Cities S., each worth $100,000 going 1 1/16 miles on Louisiana Downs' turf.

GO TIGER JACK (Offlee Wild) will face off against HEAVENVILLE (Offlee Wild) yet

again in the Unbridled after the pair ran one-two, respectively, in the

Barksdale S. on August 6. Stakes scorers LONESOME STREET (Broken Vow) and MYSTIC

(Unbridled's Song) are also entered in the race. Dual stakes winner SKIPPING

TOWN (Leestown) will attempt to keep her two-race win streak going in the River

Cities against returning rivals ROYAL MADAME (Royal Strand [Ire]), CATEGORY

SEVEN (Gulf Storm) and VICKIES IN TOWN (Leestown), while LOVENOTLOST (Lost

Soldier) is seeking her sixth victory from her past seven starts.

Also scheduled for Saturday is the $50,000

Temperence Hill S. for three-year-olds and up sprinting six furlongs.

SOUTHERN STYLE (Forestry), triumphant in his last three at Evangeline Downs and

five-for-seven at Louisiana Downs, tops the field of eight.