Barn Notes: Friday, March 23

•                  Lukas Looking For Good Effort From Bravazo In Gr. II Louisiana Derby

•                  Ring Weekend After Another Graded Stakes Win In Gr. II Muniz Memorial

•                  Sharp Opts For New Orleans Ladies Overnight Stakes With Mom’s On Strike  

LUKAS LOOKING FOR GOOD EFFORT FROM BRAVAZO IN GR. II LOUISIANA DERBY

Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas knows a thing or two about getting a horse to the Kentucky Derby having sent a total of 48 Thoroughbreds to the starting gate for the Run For The Roses. This year, “The Coach” hopes to do just that with Calumet Farm’s Bravazo, who is entered in the Grade II $1 million Louisiana Derby Presented by TwinSpires.com (100-40-20-10).

Lukas sent the son of Awesome Again to the Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots last month to a victory in the Gr. II Risen Star Stakes. Given the fact that he has already earned 54 points on Churchill Downs’ Road To The Kentucky Derby his chances of securing a spot in the Churchill Downs starting gate for the Gr. I $ 2 million Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve are pretty much guaranteed despite how he finishes on Saturday. However, this is not to say that Lukas does not have Bravazo geared up for the Louisiana Derby as he is hoping for another big run from the horse.

Lukas believes that Bravazo has shown improvement since the Risen Star and his works have reflected that. He comes into the Louisiana Derby off of two five furlong bullets over the Oaklawn Park main track.

“I really feel like he’s moved forward since the Risen Star,” Lukas said. “Not so much mentally, but he’s stronger. He’s filled out. What we are finding out is that Bravazo is very competitive. You can work him in the morning with a slow horse and he’ll go as fast as he has to go. If you worked him with Secretariat, he’d fight him all the way.”

Bravazo was guided to victory by Miguel Mena who was unable to retain the mount following an injury in a spill last Friday. He will be guided by Hall of Fame rider Gary Stevens, who rode Bravazo to victory in his 3-year-old debut at Oaklawn Park in January.

“Hearing about Miguel (Mena’s) injury really broke my heart,” Lukas said. “He rode such a good race in the Risen Star, and really, he can ride with anybody. Gary (Stevens) and I have had a lot of luck together, so maybe it will work just as well with him.”

Bravazo draws the rail for the Louisiana Derby, which Lukas does not see as a concern.

“People have opinions about post positions and the pace of the race,” Lukas said. “They think they know how it is going to play out. Only the horses have the facts. I don't think we are going to get too creative. Let's just have Gary (rider Stevens) try to get away clean and see what happens. We have the luxury of already having 54 (Kentucky Derby) points, so we just need a good effort this time. After that, we will call on all of our Hall of Fame knowledge to get him where we need to go to be ready for the big one.”

Lukas has not won a Louisiana Derby since 1996 with Grindstone, who would go on to win that year’s Kentucky Derby.

RING WEEKEND AFTER ANOTHER GRADED STAKES WIN IN GR. II MUNIZ MEMORIAL STAKES

West Point Thoroughbreds’ Ring Weekend has the most accomplished resume of any horse in the field assembled for Saturday’s Gr. II $300,000 Muniz Memorial Stakes and will go for another graded stakes win when he breaks from the outside under jockey Jose Ortiz.

The 7-year-old son of Tapit has won six graded stakes events on both dirt and turf including the Gr. II Tampa Bay Derby in 2014 and the Gr. I Frank E. Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita the following year. His most recent win against graded stakes company took place in the Gr. II Seabiscuit Handicap at Del Mar in November 2016.  In eight starts last year, Ring Weekend did not find the winner’s circle but did win his 2018 debut – an allowance optional claiming race over the turf at Gulfstream Park on February 11.

“Timing wise was a very logical spot for him especially coming off of last race which I thought was a good effort,” trainer Graham Motion said. “It’s more than anything about lack of other opportunities, limited where you can run right now. I’m not that worried about (drawing the outside), it’s long run to the turn and it doesn’t concern me that much.”

Ring Weekend boasts career earnings of $1,559,844 and a lifetime record of 29-8-5-3

“He’s kind of a barn favorite as you can imagine a horse that has been around as long as he has,” Motion said. “He has a little bit of a temper but he’s mellowed with age. Numbers wise he’s very consistent and I think the biggest thing was that he needed a break and he ran hard last year. He really likes firm ground and I hope we get that on Saturday.”

SHARP OPTS FOR NEW ORLEANS LADIES OVERNIGHT STAKES WITH MOM’S ON STRIKE

Trainer Joe Sharp was considering running Mom’s On Strike against colts in Saturday’s Gr. II Muniz Memorial Stakes but with a deep field having been assembled for said event, he decided to keep her with the girls in the $50,000 New Orleans Ladies Overnight Stakes.

“For the (Muniz Memorial Stakes), her numbers didn’t look good enough,” Sharp said. “We’re going to try and point for the (Gr. III $150,000) Bewitch Stakes at Keeneland (on April 27) and let that be her chance to get some graded earnings going a mile and a half. We were hoping to maybe take a shot in a tougher spot but the field ended up being really tough and we didn’t want to do that to her. She’s definitely the horse to beat on Saturday and doing fantastic.”

Owned by Brad Grady and Carl R. Moore Management the 5-year-old daughter of First Dude is putting a four-race win streak on the line in the New Orleans Ladies Overnight Stakes. Her quartet of recent victories include an allowance win over Churchill Downs’ Matt Winn Turf Course and another win at such caliber over the Stall-Wilson Turf Course. She then added more black type with victories in the Marie G. Krantz Memorial Stakes on Jan. 13 and the Albert M. Stall Memorial Stakes on Feb. 17.

Adam Beschizza has been board Mom’s On Strike for her last three efforts and will pilot the mare in Saturday’s race. She is the 9-5 morning line favorite.

Photo Courtesy of Hodges Photography