The Louisiana path to the 2024 Kentucky Derby Offered by Woodford Reserve resumes this Saturday, with the operating of the Grade 3 Lecomte Stakes. The Lecomte will likely be run at its customary 1 1/16-mile distance and can have a handbag of $200,000 in 2024. The race will award 20 factors to the winner on the Highway to the Kentucky Derby factors schedule.

The race is called for Lecomte, a dominant Louisiana-based horse within the 1850s. First held in 1943, the Lecomte Stakes turned restricted to 3-year-olds in 1962 and was given Grade 3 standing for the primary time in 2003. It has since taken its place as one of many first stops on the Derby path and ius a key steppingstone to the Louisiana Derby.

Let’s have a look again at some nice horses who used the Lecomte Stakes as a Kentucky Derby prep race or as a springboard to a profitable profession.

Stars of Yesterday will proceed to showcase the assorted main prep races this season on the street to the Kentucky Derby Offered by Woodford Reserve.

HARD SPUN (2007)

CAREER RECORD: 13 begins – 7 wins, 3 seconds, 1 third

CAREER EARNINGS: $2,673,470

This promising Pennsylvania-bred colt was already a two-time stakes winner as he acquired set to start his sophomore season within the Lecomte. He received the Port Penn Stakes at Delaware Park, then took the Pennsylvania Nursery Stakes in a way paying homage to one other nice Pennsylvania-bred 3-year-old, Smarty Jones. The Honest Grounds bettors revered this East Coast invader, sending him off because the even-money favourite within the seven-horse Lecomte subject.

Mario Pino despatched Arduous Spun proper to the lead, and set cheap fractions whereas encountering minimal tempo strain. He pulled clear as they handed the three-quarter-mile level and drew away to a powerful 6 ½-length win.

Arduous Spun went on to success within the Triple Crown races. He led for many of the manner within the Kentucky Derby however was caught late by Avenue Sense and completed second. After a third-place end within the Preakness, and a fourth-place effort within the Belmont, Arduous Spun went on to 2 extra graded stakes wins, together with a revenge win over Avenue Sense within the Kentucky Cup Basic Stakes. He concluded his 3-year-old season, and his profession, with a second-place end within the 2007 Breeders’ Cup Basic behind Curlin.

FRIESAN FIRE (2009)

CAREER RECORD: 18 begins – 5 wins, 1 second, three thirds

CAREER EARNINGS: $679,356

Just one horse has swept his manner by means of Honest Grounds’ three Kentucky Derby preps: Friesan Fireplace. He raced for a similar owner-trainer mixture that despatched out Arduous Spun, Fox Hill Farm (in affiliation with Vinery Stables) and Larry Jones.

Friesan Fireplace received the Lecomte handily, stalking the tempo and drawing off to a 1 ½-length win. He loved one other good journey within the Risen Star Stakes and picked up a two-length victory. Within the Louisiana Derby, he went off as the two.20-1 favourite and as soon as once more stalked the tempo and pulled away to a dominant, 7 ¼-length win.

Off these spectacular victories, he was made the three.80-1 favourite within the Kentucky Derby. He had an ungainly break however managed to settle into his standard stalking place Friesan Fireplace was requested for run on the ultimate flip, however he got here up empty and completed a distant 18th.

RON THE GREEK (2010)

CAREER RECORD: 38 begins – 14 wins, 6 seconds, 4 thirds

CAREER EARNINGS: $2,769,557

Though he achieved success early in his profession, Ron the Greek proved to be extra of a late bloomer. Off a fourth-place end within the Springboard Mile at Remington Park, Ron the Greek was lightly-regarded going into the Lecomte Stakes. He went off at 7.80-1 odds within the 10-horse subject.

For many of the race, Ron the Greek regarded like a nonfactor. He lumbered alongside because the again of the pack for many of the race, and remained 15 lengths again as they turned for dwelling. Within the stretch, he acquired going and inhaled the sphere underneath James Graham to win going away.

He failed to maneuver ahead in his subsequent two races, ending unplaced in each the Risen Star Stakes and Louisiana Derby. These two races concluded his 3-year-old season and, for some time, it regarded as if the Lecomte could be the spotlight of his profession.

Late in his 4-year-old season, Ron the Greek started to shine. He received two stakes at Aqueduct that fall, after which Ron the Greek went west and received the Santa Anita Handicap in March of his 5-year-old marketing campaign. In June, he received the Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs earlier than ending second within the Whitney Stakes at Saratoga.

At six, Ron the Greek had one other stable marketing campaign. He bookended the yr with stakes wins, beginning with the Sunshine Million Basic and ending it with the Jockey Membership Gold Cup. He retired just a few years later with earnings of greater than $2.7 million.

OXBOW (2013)

CAREER RECORD: 13 begins – 3 wins, 2 seconds, and 1 third

CAREER EARNINGS: $1,243,500

In 2013, Oxbow helped recapture the glory for a number of American racing establishments: proprietor Calumet Farm, coach D. Wayne Lukas, and jockey Gary Stevens.

Oxbow burst on the scene together with his Lecomte victory. With Jon Court docket within the saddle, Oxbow set the tempo and drew off to an enormous 11 ½-length win. It had been 14 years since Lukas received the Derby, nevertheless it out of the blue regarded like he had a severe prospect on his fingers.

His Derby flame cooled just a bit bit in his subsequent few begins. Oxbow completed fourth within the Risen Star after main within the final sixteenth, then completed second within the Insurgent Stakes at Oaklawn Park, simply lacking in a photograph in opposition to stablemate and eventual champion 3-year-old male Will Take Cost. In his closing Derby prep, and his first race with Stevens within the saddle, he was a flat fifth within the Arkansas Derby. Stevens had come out of retirement just a few months prior and out of the blue had a Kentucky Derby mount for the primary time in eight years.

Oxbow completed sixth within the Kentucky Derby after stalking a unfastened chief and making a gentle transfer. Undeterred, Lukas determined to press ahead to the Preakness, the place Oxbow was a 15.40-1 likelihood.

After failing to get to the lead in his two earlier begins, Stevens was aggressive with Oxbow and put him proper on the early tempo. He rapidly established agency management and drew off getting into the stretch, spurning any challenges. Oxbow crossed the end line 1 ¾ lengths in entrance within the Preakness to submit the largest upset in that race since 1975. It was Lukas’s first Preakness win since Charismatic in 1999, Calumet’s first since Ahead Move in 1968, and Stevens’ first since Level Given in 2001.

WAR OF WILL (2019)

CAREER RECORD: 18 begins – 5 wins, 1 second, 3 thirds

CAREER EARNINGS: $1,881,803

The 2019 Lecomte was simply the second lifetime begin on grime for Mark Casse trainee Conflict of Will. He received his first begin on the floor impressively at Churchill Downs, inspiring his connections to offer the Lecomte a attempt. Bettors made him the 8-5 favourite and their religion was properly rewarded. He stalked the tempo and received by 4 lengths, instantly stamping himself a Kentucky Derby contender.

Conflict of Will adopted with a 2 ¼-length Risen Star win however upset in each the Louisiana Derby and the Kentucky Derby, through which he had a tough journey. Bettors saved the religion going into the Preakness, as he went off at 6.10-1 odds in a wide-open subject. His supporters have been rewarded as Conflict of Will received by 1 ¼ lengths to turn into simply the second Lecomte victor to win a Triple Crown race.

Fourteen months later, Conflict of Will added a grass Grade 1 victory to his resume when he received the Maker’s Mark Mile at Keeneland. He turned the primary Preakness winner to win a Grade 1 on a number of surfaces since California Chrome in 2014.