Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby

Chart notes

EPICENTER failed to make the front early on, stalked along the inside while rating comfortably behind the top pair down the backstretch, tipped outside of them at the five sixteenths pole, shifted to the six path while ranging up well in hand entering the lane, confidently forged an advantage at the three sixteenths pole, then asserted his authority over his competition, kicked away while shifting inwardly, felt a left handed crop entering the final sixteenth, and was wrapped up approaching the wire. ZOZOS set the pace while a bit off of the rail, encountered pressure from an outer PIONEER OF MEDINA down the backstretch, disposed of that foe passing the quarter pole as EPICENTER loomed large, but proved no match for that foe approaching the final furlong, and safely managed place. PIONEER OF MEDINA got loose pre-race, pressed outside of the leader from the three path down the backstretch, ratcheted up the pressure around the far turn to bid at the five sixteenths pole, but failed to keep pace while getting outkicked by an outer rival in upper stretch, and was best of the rest. RATTLE N ROLL laid off of the pace two wide, took the far turn in the three path, came into the lane in the six path, chased from between horses in midstretch, and moved up to reach a minor placing late. GALT tracked from midpack while shifting down from the four path to the three path around the first turn, tucked to the rail into the far turn, claimed fourth entering the lane, then failed to threaten the top trio before losing fourth late. CALL ME MIDNIGHT sat back when the gates opened and came out a step slowly, trailed the field around the first turn, moved out of last outside of SILENT POWER at the five furlong pole while being forced outwardly by that foe, then crept a bit closer in the four path around the far turn, got floated to the nine path to remain outside of a drifting KUPUNA entering the lane, then only produced a mild kick, attempted to vie for fourth in midstretch, but flattened out. KUPUNA tugged while shifting out from the three to four path and outside of the leaders, tracked those foes down the backstretch and into the far turn, but drifted to the eight path entering the lane before weakening. CURLY TAIL laid off of the pace along the inside, but was through after six furlongs. SILENT POWER was done early.