Pricey Savoy Stomp Seeks Lecomte Victory

Points on the road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) will be up for grabs in the $200,000 Lecomte Stakes (gr. III) from Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots Jan. 17 when 11 promising 3-year-olds go to post in the one mile and seventy yard contest.

The Lecomte offers 10 Derby points to the winner, four to the runner-up, two for the third-place finisher and one point to the fourth-place finisher. The points system is used to determine the 20 starters in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) if more than 20 horses are entered.

On Saturday Savoy Stomp, an $875,000 purchase from the 2013 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select yearling sale, could be the one to beat for Team Valor International and Southern Equine Stable.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, Savoy Stomp showed plenty of promise when he broke his maiden in his debut at Belmont Park on Sept. 27, prevailing by two lengths, defeating 11 other horses.

Off of that impressive victory, Savoy Stomp, a son of Medaglia d'Oro  , was entered next in the $250,000 Nashua Stakes (gr. II) at Aqueduct Racetrack on Nov. 2 but never fired over the muddy track, finishing fifth beaten 21 lengths by Blofeld.

Sent down to Gulfstream Park, Savoy Stomp was sent off the 7-5 favorite in a $37,000 allowance on Dec. 17 but could only get up for third behind Bluegrass Singer, who went on to take the listed $100,000 Mucho Macho Man Stakes at Gulfstream on Jan. 3.

Savoy Stomp, who was bred by Southern Equine Stables, LLC in Kentucky, will break from post six and will be ridden by Mike Smith carrying 116 pounds trying to give Pletcher his first winner in the Lecomte.

Eagle, who drew the outside post in the field of 11, could prove a top threat for owner William S. Farish, having finished third in the $233,000 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes (gr. II) in his previous start on Nov. 29.

The son of Candy Ride  , bred by Farish in Kentucky, was only beaten three-quarters of a length in the Kentucky Jockey Club by El Kabeir, who tops the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 21 points.

Since the Kentucky Jockey Club, Eagle, who will carry 120 pounds in the Lecomte, has shown five breezes at Fair Grounds for trainer Neil Howard, who's saddled the winner of the Lecomte twice in his career—Line In The Sand (1992) and Wilkinson (2011).

International Star, winner of the $138,983 Grey Stakes (gr. III) over the Polytrack at Woodbine on Oct. 5, drew the rail and is the starting high weight in the Lecomte Stakes with Four Leaf Chief, each carrying 122 pounds.

Four Leaf Chief has won three of five starts for trainer Steven B. Flint, including victories in the Louisiana Cup Juvenile Stakes at Louisiana Downs on Aug. 2 and the Louisiana Legacy Stakes at Delta Downs on Nov. 22.