After meeting five times as 3-year-olds, graded stakes winners Mandaloun and Midnight Bourbon square off again as 4-year-olds in the $150,000 Louisiana Stakes (G3) Jan. 22 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.
The 1 1/16-mile race marks their first meeting since the July 17 TVG.com Haskell Stakes (G1) at Monmouth Park, a race Mandaloun won upon the disqualification of Hot Rod Charlie after the latter impeded Midnight Bourbon in the stretch and unseated his jockey, Paco Lopez.
Following the Haskell, Winchell Thoroughbreds' Midnight Bourbon hit the board in three grade 1 stakes, while Juddmonte's Mandaloun went to the sidelines, aimed at a 2022 campaign.
"He needed time off. He made that decision easy," trainer Brad Cox said. "We stopped on him and gave him time. For horses to progress, whether it be from (age) 2 to 3 or 3 to 4, they need a break."
Mandaloun, second behind Zedan Racing Stables' Medina Spirit in last year's Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) at Churchill Downs, could become the winner of the Derby if Medina Spirit is disqualified for testing positive for betamethasone. Kentucky stewards have yet to hold a hearing related to the Derby.
"Listen, I'm not going to tell you that he's working better than ever because he's always a very, very good work horse to begin with," Cox said. "I think anybody that watched him train up to the Kentucky Derby could believe the way he ran, the way he was training. He's definitely working as well as he was leading up to the Derby, or the Haskell, so we're in a good spot with him. I think this is a race that makes a lot of sense as far as getting back racing and seeing how it goes."
The son of Into Mischief , who has finished in front of Midnight Bourbon three times in their five meetings, is drawn in post 2 under regular rider Florent Geroux. Should he run well and exit the race in good condition, Mandaloun might pursue the Saudi Cup (G1) Feb. 26.
Midnight Bourbon and Mandaloun have faced each other three times at Fair Grounds, first doing so a year ago when Midnight Bourbon won the Lecomte Stakes (G3) when Mandaloun was third. Those positions were reversed a month later when Mandaloun won the Risen Star Stakes Presented by Lamarque Ford (G2) and Midnight Bourbon was third. Then in the Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) last March, Midnight Bourbon ran second to Hot Rod Charlie, with Mandaloun sixth.
Mandaloun would rebound with his close runner-up finish in the Kentucky Derby, while Midnight Bourbon ran sixth in the Derby after a slow start.
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With Midnight Bourbon winless since the Lecomte, Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen adds blinkers to the Tiznow colt.
"As good as he's been, I think there is more there," Asmussen said. "It doesn't look like he's finishing (his races) off."
In his most recent start Nov. 26 in the Clark Stakes Presented by Norton Healthcare (G1) at Churchill Downs, that seemed noticeable. Bet down to favoritism with an apparent tactical advantage in a paceless race, front-running Midnight Bourbon enjoyed a relatively easy opening half-mile split before weakening to third behind older horses Maxfield and Happy Saver .
Joel Rosario, who rode him in the Clark, returns in the irons. Midnight Bourbon landed post 3.
Also entered are Chess Chief , Sprawl, Pirate's Punch, Warrant , and Spa City—though the rail-drawn Chess Chief is expected to scratch to await the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) at Gulfstream Park Jan. 29.
Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Saturday, January 22, 2022, Race 13Entries: Louisiana S. (G3)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Chess Chief (VA) Reylu Gutierrez 122 Dallas Stewart 12/1 2 2Mandaloun (KY) Florent Geroux 118 Brad H. Cox 1/1 3 3Midnight Bourbon (KY) Joel Rosario 118 Steven M. Asmussen 6/5 4 4Sprawl (KY) Colby J. Hernandez 118 Thomas Drury, Jr. 10/1 5 5Pirate's Punch (KY) Corey J. Lanerie 118 Grant T. Forster 20/1 6 6Warrant (KY) Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr. 124 Brad H. Cox 12/1 7 7Spa City (KY) James Graham 122 Thomas M. Amoss 20/1
