Coyote Legend, winner of six of his last seven starts, is the morning-line favorite for the $100,000 Super Derby Prelude Aug. 28, the highlight on a 10-race card at a Harrah's Louisiana Downs Casino & Racetrack. The Super Derby Prelude is the local prep for the Super Derby (gr. II) on Sept. 25. The winner receives an automatic starting berth in the meet’s premiere race.
This year's Prelude is one of the most competitive in recent memory. Nine horses entered the race, with each having a legitimate chance.
Leading the group is Coyote Legend who is trained by Bret Calhoun and based in Oklahoma where he has trained since winning the Assault Stakes at Lone Star Park in July. The gelding started out his career as a sprinter, but has steadily increased in distance with each and every start. At the Prelude distance of a 1 1/16 miles he is five-for-seven. Bobby Walker Jr. has the call.
Al Stall, Jr., who two years ago won the Super Derby with My Pal Charlie, and last year ran second with 2010 Horse of the Year candidate Blame, will send out Apart, who drew the outside post. A son of Flatter , Apart won his dirt debut at Churchill Downs by more than seven lengths and should enjoy the return to two-turns and longer distances.
Down With Dixie is the third choice on the morning line at 4-1 as he ships in from Churchill Downs. The son of Purge ran fourth last time in the Iowa Derby after falling 12 lengths off the pace in a race won by Concord Point, a rising star in the 3-year-old division. Jamie Theriot, who rode Blame last year in the Super Derby, has the mount.