Super Derby weekend at Louisiana Downs

The Super Derby will headline the biggest card of the year at Louisiana Downs on Saturday afternoon, and a nice field of 9 has been assembled to contest the $500,000 Grade 2 event.

With names such as trainer Bob Baffert, jockey Mike Smith and the presence of graded stakes winners and the connections from this year's Kentucky Derby winner, there are plenty of reasons to get excited for Saturday's Main Event on a stakes-filled racing card.

Prayer For Relief is the big name in the field coming off a powerful win in the Grade 2 West Virginia Derby last month. Prayer for Relief took the Iowa Derby before that for his trainer Bob Baffert and owner Zayat Racing. He won at this 9 furlong distance in the West Virginia Derby and turning for home looked like he might get beat, but he really kicked in during the final furlong and came home a solid winner. Prayer for Relief has been assigned the morning line favorites role at odds of 9/5 with Rafael Bejarano aboard.

Super Derby betting weekend from Louisiana Downs at Off Track Betting

The Super Derby has lured many lightly raced, up-and-coming three year olds including Alternation. Alternation got off to a fast start in his career and won the Grade 2 Peter Pan at Belmont back in May. After some time off he ran fourth in the Jim Dandy Stakes behind eventual Travers winner Stay Thirsty. Alternation's regular rider Ramon Dominguez will once again be on board for trainer Donnie Von Hemel.

Since many years, the Louisiana track has drawn its most competitive and largest field this year, with runners shipping and flying in from all across the globe, like Kentucky, New York, Southern California and Illinois. Trent Mcintosh, who is the director of operations for Louisiana Downs, expressed with relish that what they have been able to pull off at this time of the year, conducting a Grade 2 event for 3-year-olds, has made them feel proud and anyone who in the U.S conducts races at this time would be thrilled.

The 1 1/8 mile Super Derby reeled in immense talented three year olds from all over the coutry, and the main start out of the 3 year olds is the Grade 2 Peter Pan Stakes' winner, Alteration, who was the first to enter the gates for trainer Donnie Von Hemel.

Another prominent entrant is the Bob Baffert trained Prayer for Relief, who is coming off 3 wins in his last three races, including Grade 3 Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows on 25 June, 2011, and the Grade 2 West Virginia Derby on 6 August, 2011, which is also run over a distance of 1 1/8 miles. Prayer for Relief, for his unbeaten run in his last 3 races, was made the morning line favourite.

Other notable entries include Meistersinger, who will be shipped in from Fair Hills, with other notable companions, Awesome Bet and Malibu Blue, from Churchill Downs and Saratoga, respectively.

Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith will pilot Malibu Glow out of the No. 3 post for trainer George Weaver while Super Derby Prelude champion Trubs will break from No. 7.