“He’s a talented horse playing catch-up,” Asmussen said of Disarm at the post-position draw on Saturday. “From where we were at, I only felt we could get two runs in him (before the Kentucky Derby), and the 1 mile and three-sixteenths distance (of the Louisiana Derby) will move him forward. He’s a horse who will stay on nicely, but needs some racing. He has a high talent level and deserves this chance.”
Horseplayers looking for a long shot might want to consider a pair of options from smaller barns.
Neil Pessin trainee, Baseline Beater (12-1), is a deep closer who prefers to run from the back of the pack. His running style should be suited to the race’s 1 3/16-mile distance, but could be compromised by a projected slow pace and the outside post.
“Distance won’t be a problem for my horse,” Pessin said. “Three-year-olds this time of year tend to improve or go the other way, and my horse is improving. So, we’re taking a shot.”
Cagliostro (12-1), named for an Italian psychic, is the lone entry from trainer Cherie DeVaux’s barn. He has improved in every race and appears primed for a breakout performance.
“He’s a bit of a nut in the barn, but on the track and in his races, he’s having fun out there,” said Adrianne DeVaux, the assistant trainer of Cagliostro.
It’s been 27 years since the Louisiana Derby champion earned the garland of roses on the first Saturday in May.
Grindstone won the 1996 Louisiana Derby, then nipped Cavonnier by a nose at the wire to win the Kentucky Derby seven weeks later. The only other time it’s happened was 1924, when Black Gold swept the two races.
But recent history has seen a dramatic change in Louisiana Derby prospects in the Kentucky Derby.
Epicenter finished a heartbreaking second in last year’s Kentucky Derby, when 81-1 longshot Rich Strike ran him down at the wire.
A pair of Louisiana Derby entrants, Mandaloun and champion Hot Rod Charlie, officially finished first and second in the 2021 Kentucky Derby after officials disqualified Medina Spirit for a drug violation. O Besos, who finished third in the Louisiana Derby that year, finished fourth.
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