Road to the Roses: The Lecomte Stakes promises a wide-open field at Fair Grounds

This Saturday, Chip Honcho and Crown the Buckeye will face off once again, after finishing 1-2 in the Gun Runner Stakes (L) last December.

Chip Honcho looks to repeat his victory from the Gun Runner Stakes / FAIR GROUNDS

NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (Special for Turf Diario).— The Road to the Kentucky Derby (G1) makes another stop on the dirt at Fair Grounds. It’s not just any stop; it’s the moment to confirm whether what was seen in the Gun Runner Stakes (L) was a matter of absolute parity or simply a circumstantial result. This Saturday, the Lecomte Stakes (G3 - 1,700m, $250,000) promises to be a true litmus test for the 3-year-olds dreaming of Churchill Downs, awarding 20 valuable points to the winner for the Derby standings.

The field is an explosive mix of those who have already clashed and emerging prospects looking for a breakout performance. In the first group is Chip Honcho (Connect), the Leland Ackerley Racing colt coming off a victory over Crown the Buckeye (Yaupon) in a heart-pounding finish in the aforementioned Gun Runner. That afternoon, the Mike Maker trainee (who will now be ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr.) cleared the way with blistering fractions and nearly paid the price for the effort in the final stride.

Chip Honcho breaks from the far outside, but with Paco Lopez in the stirrups, the plan is clear: don't let the leader get away. If the race unfolds with a suffocating pace again, the scenario will once more favor the son of Connect.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the Lecomte is what’s coming out of the barns of Brad Cox and Cherie DeVaux. The presence of the Ortiz brothers and Flavien Prat in the riding assignments is no coincidence:

White Tiger, trained by Cox, is a colt who left an excellent impression at Churchill Downs and returns to the hands of Irad Ortiz Jr. By pedigree and team, he is the major threat in the race.

Mesquite (DeVaux), meanwhile, brings a name on the rise after winning at the distance and will now have the backing of Flavien Prat.

For his part, Stop the Car (Maximum Security), from the Brendan Walsh stable, maintains an unblemished record in two starts and is the "dark horse" that could leave everyone speechless.

In the Silverbulletday, Atropa

The day at Fair Grounds will have another focal point in the Silverbulletday Stakes (1,700m), the bridge to the Kentucky Oaks (G1). Here, all eyes converge on Atropa (Into Mischief). The bay who is coming off a runner-up finish in the Golden Rod (G2) appears as the logical choice for the commitment, though she must validate her status against Taken by the Wind (Rock Your World) and the undefeated White Smoke (Essential Quality), who is raising the bar after a debut that had everyone talking.