Day: March 21, 2020

Louisiana Derby Preview, Sat., Mar. 21

Here are the projections for today’s $1 mil. Louisiana Derby at the Fair Grounds, run at 1 3/16 mi. on the dirt for three-year-olds. Out of a field of sixteen horses, the program likes Brad Cox trained #3 Wells Bayou as the first choice with a total win probability of 28.62% versus 8-1 on the M/L. The horse finished a length behind Silver Prospector in the Southwest Stakes with a final time of 1:43.01 for 1 1/16 mi and previously won an allowance race at 1 mi. Wells Bayou has the highest SPD estimate in the field at 37.6% along with superior E1, E2 and COMP figures of 82.4%, 31% and 74%. He is also the classiest horse with a 14% Winning Percentage. Second is #10 Enforceable with a 15.6% win probability, who finished second to Mr. Monomy in the quickest of the Risen Star divisions on Feb. 15. Prior to that he won the Lecomte at the Fairgrounds on Jan. 18. Enforceable has the second highest SPD estimate at 28.8% and the strongest LP estimate at 27.6%. Weak, however, is his COMP at 1.2%, meaning that his simulated component speed estimates together do not stack up well against the other horses. The next three horses are Bill Mott trained #14 Modernist, winner of his last two, including the slower division of the Risen Star, with a 8.49% win probability, #6 Silver State with 7.84% and #9 Portos with 6.95%. Todd Pletcher trained Portos could be interesting after closing well from well off the pace to finish 3rd in the 1 1/8 mi. Withers at Aqueduct on Feb. 1. In sum, Wells Bayou’s superior speed data suggests he would have significant value at his 8-1 M/L price when his fair value is 3-1. None of the other horses rate well as far as speed, except Enforceable, whose component speed figures indicate weakness apart from LP.  Click on the link in the lower right to see the projections in full-resolution.