Texas Fever, Blackberry Road square off in Lecomte

The $100,000 Lecomte S. (GIII) at Fair Grounds on Saturday anchors a six-stakes card dubbed "Road to the Derby" Kickoff Day. Eight sophomores will square off in the one-mile test, which serves as the opening salvo in the New Orleans campaign to the Kentucky Derby (G1). Top contenders in the Lecomte include Kentucky Cup Juvenile S. (GIII) winner TEXAS FEVER (Victory Gallop); hard-charging Kentucky Jockey Club S. (GII) runner-up BLACKBERRY ROAD (Gone West), the 7-2 favorite on the morning line; Calder shipper HE'S EZE (Silver Deputy).

A homebred campaigned by Stonerside Stable, Texas Fever will be testing a conventional dirt surface for the first time in the Lecomte. The Mike Stidham pupil began his career on Arlington Park's Polytrack, powering to a 5 3/4-length maiden score in his third start on the synthetic oval. Texas Fever promptly stepped up into stakes company, and stretched out to 1 1/16 miles, in the Kentucky Cup Juvenile on the Polytrack at Turfway Park. Showing terrific resolve, he argued the pace while racing wide, opened up by 1 1/2 lengths in midstretch, and held on determinedly by a neck. Texas Fever switched to the grass for his final 2007 start in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf and wound up sixth, beaten a total of 3 1/2 lengths on the yielding ground at Monmouth.

Since taking up his winter quarters at Fair Grounds, Texas Fever has been training sharply on the dirt, firing a series of bullet works in advance of the Lecomte. On Saturday, he will pick up the services of jockey Jamie Theriot, who figures to carve out a ground-saving trip from his rail post. Texas Fever rates as the 4-1 second choice on the morning line.

Morning-line favorite Blackberry Road has yet to win a stakes, but the David Carroll trainee has turned in excellent efforts in defeat in his past two starts. Those promising performances have led regular rider Calvin Borel, who guided champion Street Sense to victory in last year's Kentucky Derby, to call Blackberry Road "Little Street." The Dogwood Stable colorbearer encountered traffic trouble turning into the stretch in the Kentucky Cup Juvenile and had to steady, yet still flew home to finish an eye-catching third to Texas Fever. Blackberry Road unleashed a similarly stirring rally last time out in the Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs, closing from last to just miss catching Nick Zito's Anak Nakal (Victory Gallop) by a half-length. A half-brother to undefeated champion Vindication, Blackberry Road has drawn post 6 in the Lecomte.

He's Eze will be making his first start away from his home base at Calder Race Course, where he posted a front-running, 2 1/4-length victory in the Jack Price Juvenile S. in his latest venture. The strength of that race was upheld when Jack Price runner-up, Smooth Air (Smooth Jazz), went on to capture Saturday's Hutcheson S. (GII) at Gulfstream Park. Although the Jack Price was a seven-furlong affair, He's Eze broke his maiden going a mile in September. Jockey Jose Alberto Rivera II travels from Calder to continue his partnership with the Terry Oliver colt.

The Steve Asmussen-trained Z FORTUNE (Siphon [Brz]) likewise boasts a two-for-two mark while competing against New York-breds. The gray faces a similar class test in his stakes debut, but he has already answered the distance question. The Zayat Stables colt has dominated both of his races in the Empire State, storming to a 4 3/4-length tally in a mile-and-70-yard allowance contest at Aqueduct last time out. Shaun Bridgmohan picks up the mount.

Asmussen's other contender, STAR DEFENDER (Vindication), is coming off a second-place finish in the Eddy County S. at Zia Park.

The remaining three Lecomte entrants will all be making their stakes debuts. Impressive Churchill maiden winner MACHO AGAIN (Macho Uno) is exiting a strong, if troubled, second to Monba (Maria's Mon), who came back to finish fourth in the CashCall Futurity (GI) at Hollywood Park. MAD FLATTER (Flatter) broke his maiden sprinting before successfully stretching out to 1 1/16 miles in a Fair Grounds allowance, both accomplished in front-running fashion. THE DARP (Proud Citizen) was last seen posting a 9 1/4-length victory in a maiden race at this track and trip.

Texas Fever will lead the post parade with a 122-pound impost. Next will come The Darp, Robby Albarado, 116, 8-1; He's Eze, 122, 12-1; Z Fortune, 120, 6-1; Blackberry Road, 116; Mad Flatter, James Graham, 118, 6-1; Macho Again, Julien Leparoux, 118, 9-2; and Star Defender, Miguel Mena, 116, 12-1.

-Brisnet Editorial