Bedanken Leads Bayou Breeders' Cup Field

Five-year-old Bedanken will make her seasonal debut in Saturday's Bayou Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Fair Grounds, where she will square off against 11 rivals in the 1 1/8-mile contest on the Stall-Wilson Turf Course.

The Donnie Von Hemel-trainee made only one start last year, winning the Dec. 26 Furl Sail Handicap, also at Fair Grounds, stopping the clock in a stakes record 1:36.19 for the about one-mile distance. The Furl Sail marked Bedanken's first start since scoring a seven-length win in the 2002 Pago Hop at Fair Grounds.

Josephine Abercrombie's Pin Oak Stud bred Bedanken from the Strawberry Road mare Danka. She has earned $317,074. Her lifetime record is 11-8-1-2.

Bedanken, the highweight at 121 pounds, will break from post four under regular rider Don Pettinger.

Giving Bedanken a challenge will be the Mark Frostad-trainee Baie, who finished second behind Snow Drops in the Dec. 20 Pago Hop. Frostad conditions the French-bred Baie for 6 C Stable.

Since moving to this country last September, Baie has one second in three starts. In her native France, she has three wins from eight career starts, including a win in the Prix Finlande at Longchamp.

The field for Saturday's Bayou Breeders' Cup Handicap (gr. IIIT) includes:
1--Dynamic Lady (Frank Lovato, Jr., 113)
2--Flager (Shane J. Sellers, 117)
3--Titia (Elvis Joseph Perrodin, 113)
4--Bedanken (Donald R. Pettinger, 121)
5--Firth of Lorne (Gerard Melancon, 117)
6--Mexican Moonlight (Corey J. Lanerie, 114)
7--No Other Like You (Jose R. Martinez, Jr., 110)
8--Baie (Robby Albarado, 118)
9--Float and Sting (Larry Melancon, 115)
10--Lady Linda (Calvin H. Borel, 115)
11--Due to Win Again (Eddie M. Martin, Jr., 115)