The Pickett Factor Rolls into Super Derby

The Pickett Factor will try to extend his Louisiana Downs win streak to four straight races when he starts in a graded stakes for the first time on Saturday, Sept. 12 in the $400,000 Super Derby (gr. II).

A Louisiana-bred racing for Ralph Irwin, The Pickett Factor has rolled to three straight wins, all at Louisiana Downs, by a combined 12 1/4 lengths. The son of Gold Tribute raced farther in each of those efforts, starting the win streak with a 5 1/4-length score in a seven-furlong allowance race, posting a 5 3/4-length win in a one-mile, 70-yard allowance for Louisiana-breds, and winning his stakes debut, the 1 1/16-mile Super Derby Prelude Stakes, going 1 1/16 miles Aug. 8.

All seven horses in the field (featuring more Louisiana-breds, 4, than Kentucky-breds, 3) are looking for their first graded stakes win. The only horse entered with a graded stakes placing is Allied Air Raid, who finished second in the Iowa Derby (gr. III) in June and enters off a runner-up finish in the Super Derby Prelude for trainer Brad Cox.

The field also includes Mark Dedomenico's Prime Engine, who ships from Washington after winning the Emerald Downs Derby on Aug. 9. Mobile Bay and Four Leaf Chief have both won two stakes for Louisiana-breds.

The Super Derby is one of seven stakes worth a total of $900,000 on Saturday's Louisiana Downs card, which also includes a pair of seven-furlong, $100,000 divisions of the Louisiana Stallion Stakes. In the division for 2-year-old males, Ironwater Farms Joint Venture's Icy Gentleman, by Yankee Gentleman  , will try for his third win in as many starts and his second straight stakes score. The division for fillies features eight maidens.

The other four stakes, all non-restricted events, figure to be highlighted by Charles Smith homebred String King going for his foruth stakes victory in five starts this season in the Unbridled Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on the turf. The 7-year-old Crowned King gelding won this year's Colonel E. R. Bradley Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots and enters Saturday's race off a four-length victory in the Louisiana Cup Turf Classic Stakes Aug. 8 at Louisiana Downs.