Kingsbarns Leads All the Way to Win Louisiana Derby

March 25th, 2023 by Frank Angst

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2023 Louisiana Derby, Instant coffee, todd pletcher, kingsbarns, fair grounds

Kingsbarns wins the Louisiana Derby. (Scott Serio/Eclipse Sportswire)

Kingsbarns may be hitting his best stride at an optimum time. After opening his career with a pair of clear victories in Florida, Kingsbarns successfully stepped up in class March 25 as he led every step of the way in the $1 million Grade 2 Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds Race Course, drawing off in the stretch to post a 3 1/2-length win in his stakes debut.

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Kingsbarns adds to a strong hand pointing to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, who also conditions 2-year-old champion male Forte and Grade 3 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby winner Tapit Trice. While plans call for each of those runners to start again ahead of the Kentucky Derby, Kingsbarns took full advantage of the spotlight Saturday.

After breaking well from post 6 under Flavien Prat, Kingsbarns found himself on the lead and he moved to the rail as Ricardo Santana Jr. asked speedy Shopper’s Revenge to rate from post 1. In his lone win, Shopper's Revenge went gate-to-wire, and in Kingsbarns' previous two races he rated just off the pace, but those two would switch roles early in Saturday's 1 3/16-mile test.

Kingsbarns would thrive. After securing the advantage and inside position into the first turn, Kingsbarns relaxed under Prat, cruising through a quarter-mile in :24.71, a half-mile in :49.6, and six furlongs in 1:14.69. Throughout those slow fractions, Kingsbarns was lightly pressed by Jace’s Road, who in December captured the Gun Runner Stakes on the Fair Grounds dirt.

Coming out of the far turn, jockey Florent Geroux asked for more from Jace's Road but Kingsbarns immediately responded to that challenge, quickly drawing off and putting the race away. The son of Uncle Mo was timed in 1:57.33, the slowest time in the race in four runnings since it was extended to 1 3/16 miles in 2020. He paid $11 to win.

Kingsbarns punched his Kentucky Derby ticket with the Louisiana Derby awards 100 qualifying points to the winner. Those points are used by Churchill Downs to determine the classic's field should more than 20 horses be entered.

Prat said going to the lead was an option after talking things over with Pletcher.

"He told me that the race was pretty straightforward, and if (Kingsbarns) ended up on the lead, he was fine with that. So he jumped well and I was able to get myself in a comfortable spot," Prat told Fair Grounds publicity. "From there he did the job."

While any drama over the Louisiana Derby winner ended early, another sophomore making his stakes debut also turned some heads. Disarm punched through a gap on the inside of the well-bunched field and quickly put away all other challenges to secure second by 2 3/4 lengths – a move that landed him 40 qualifying points for the Derby.

Rounding out the top spots and also earning Derby points were Jace's Road, 30 points, Shopper's Revenge, 20 points, and Sun Thunder, 10 points. Instant Coffee, favored at 3-2 off back-to-back graded stakes wins at Churchill Downs and Fair Grounds, flattened out after a wide rally from behind the slow pace and finished sixth.

Kingsbarns did not race at 2. He opened this season by rallying from fourth to win a maiden special weight race contested at the one-turn mile at Gulfstream Park by 1 3/4 lengths. He followed that effort with a 7 3/4-length score in an allowance-optional claiming race Feb. 12 at Tampa Bay Downs at one mile and 40 yards—his first try at two turns.