Enforceable Aimed Toward Blue Grass After Fast Workout
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Photo: Hodges Photography/Amanda Hodges Weir
Enforceable wins the Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds
Lecomte Stakes winner (G3) Enforceable, unraced since a fifth-place finish in the March 21 Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2), breezed five furlongs in :58 4/5 June 12 at Casse Training Center near Ocala, Fla., and could make his next start in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2) at Keeneland, trainer Mark Casse said.
The workout was his second of the month following a three-furlong breeze in :36 2/5 breeze June 6. Before that, he had not breezed since April 29.
"He worked extremely well. I've been very happy with him. I've seen leaps and bounds (of improvement) moving forward in the last few weeks, which is good," Casse said. "He came out of the Louisiana Derby a little banged up and worn out. It's taken a while to get him back on track."
Casse said the breeze left him excited and pleased with the 3-year-old's fitness level. The gray son of Tapit owned by John Oxley had been in steady competition from May 2019 to March.
"I still have to talk to Mr. Oxley, but right now I'm thinking the Blue Grass" for Enforceable's next start, Casse said.
Enforceable ran once last fall at Keeneland, finishing third in the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1) behind winner Maxfield and Gouverneur Morris, another colt being pointed for the July 11 Blue Grass.
The $600,000, 1 1/8-mile Blue Grass offers qualifying points toward the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) on a 100-40-20-10 basis to its top four finishers. Enforceable is 12th on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 33 points.
Though the postponement of the Derby to Sept. 5 due to COVID-19 has derailed plans for some prospects, the new date suits Enforceable. Casse said the colt would have been out of Derby consideration if the race had been run on its customary date on the first Saturday in May.
The late-running colt, out of the graded stakes-winning Dixie Union mare Justwhistledixie, is related to three other graded stakes winners, including sires New Year's Day (by Street Cry) and Mohaymen (by Tapit). He has a 2-2-2 record from nine starts with earnings of $376,150. Between the Lecomte and Louisiana Derby this winter when based at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Enforceable finished second in a division of the Risen Star Stakes Presented by Lamarque Ford (G2).