All eyes on Mandaloun in loaded Louisiana Derby
At 0h03, on March 16, 2021 • By FAIR GROUNDS
Mention Juddmonte Farms’ homebred Mandaloun to trainer Brad Cox and the reaction is telling. And immediate. Cox is looking forward to showing the rest of the racing world what he’s thought all along—that Mandaloun is one serious 3-year-old—when he starts as a strong favorite in Saturday’s 108th running of the $1 million Louisiana Derby (G2) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.
Run at 1 3/16 miles, the Louisiana Derby will offer 170 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve, on a 100-40-20-10 scale, and highlight a robust 14-race card that includes eight stakes overall, including the supporting feature, the $400,000 Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) for 3-year-old fillies.
Mandaloun (post 6, as Mike Diliberto’s 8-5 morning line favorite, with Florent Geroux to ride), a son of Into Mischief, burst on the national scene as a 2-year-old, easily winning both starts sprinting in Kentucky at short odds.
