The favourite role for Saturday’s G2 Louisiana Derby has been assigned to John Hancock

John Hancock signs his name on top of the ten entries for the $1 million Louisiana Derby in grade two.

March 15, 2025, New Orleans, Louisiana In the $1 million TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby (G2), one of eight stakes planned for Louisiana Derby Day at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, John Hancock of CHC & WinStar Farm was listed as the 7-2 morning line favourite with a field of ten horses. As the longest North American prep to date, the 3-year-olds will be required to go 1 3/16 miles. The top five finishers will get 100-50-25-15-10 qualifying points at the final stop on the local Road to the Kentucky Derby.

The 112th running of the Louisiana Derby is one of four graded stakes on the closing weekend card, which also includes the $300,000 Muniz Memorial presented by Horse Racing Nation (G2), the centenary running of the $500,000 New Orleans Classic presented by Relyne GI By Hagyard (G2), and the $400,000 Fasig-Tipton Fair Grounds Oaks (G2), the first prep on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks to offer 200 qualifying points. The Louisiana Derby is scheduled for Saturday, March 22.

In his first Derby preparation, John Hancock, who was trained by Brad Cox, showed his mettle by wiring the field last out in the Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs. John Hancock shown his resilience by outlasting that elegant opponent in the closing stages and collecting 20 points towards Kentucky Derby 151, even though Owen Almighty, the next-out winner of the Tampa Bay Derby (G3), was on his hip throughout the Sam Davis. John Hancock, who has been flawless in both of his outings, bounced back from a difficult debut to take the lead and establish himself best running six furlongs at Tampa. To lead the Constitution colt from the rail, Flavien Prat will return to the irons.

After winning his first Louisiana Derby last year with Catching Freedom, Cox, the current meet-leading trainer, has two colts entered in the local derby in an attempt to win back-to-back events. Instant Replay, a homebred by Gary and Mary West, will start with his stablemate. With his second two-turn race in a local mid-February first-level allowance, Maximum Security’s kid got off to a spectacular start to his sophomore campaign. Instant Replay emerged from last to pass the lagging leader Furio at the furlong pole and go away with little pressure to win by five lengths on a fast main track that had been favouring forward runs. Instant Replay will be led by jockey Florent Geroux from post 9 as he returns to the Louisiana Derby.

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ Built is scheduled to race in the final after competing in each of the three local Derby preps thus far. Built, who was trained by Wayne Catalano, has finished second in the Lecomte (G3), third in the Risen Star (G3), and won the Gun Runner, earning him 35 Derby points. Meet-leading jockey Jose Ortiz has been selected as the new rider to drive Hard Spun’s son. The 9-2 second choice in the morning queue is built drew post 6.

Completing before Terry Stephens’ Chunk of Gold, who finished second in the Risen Star, will be returning to Fair Grounds with the goal of adding to the 25 points he gained. The Preservationist colt, trained by Ethan West, finished second in the Leonatus after winning his first race at Turfway Park. Loveberry, Jareth, keeps the horse.

Vassimo from Team Penney Racing is also leaving the Risen Star. Following a heroic late effort by the team to finish fourth in Vassimo’s maiden stakes attempt, the Todd Pletcher trainee will return to Fair Grounds with Irad Ortiz Jr. in the saddle.

Any of the 10 entrants might win this year’s Louisiana Derby, which has a tepid favourite and a very competitive field. The remainder of the field consists of a pair trained by Steve Asmussen in Tiztastic, who has amassed 19 qualifying points from top five finishes in four Derby preps and the outstanding last-out maiden winner Yinzer; Caldera, who finished second in the Sunland Derby for trainer D. Wayne Lukas; Hypnus, who finished seventh last out in the Rebel (G2) at Oaklawn Park and will return to the track where he broke his maiden for trainer Ken McPeek, who won the Kentucky Derby last year; and Furio, the y

The $150,000 Tom Benson Memorial, a 1 1/16-mile grass course for older fillies and mares, and three $100,000 Louisiana-bred prizes are all part of Saturday’s events.

Louisiana Derby Day’s first post is scheduled for 12:00 CT.

This is the whole field, including the rider, trainer, and morning line, for the $1 million TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) from the rail out:

1. John Hancock (Brad Cox, Flavien Prat, 7-2)

2. A Bit of Gold (Ethan West, Jareth Loveberry, 8-1)

3. Tiztastic (Steve Asmussen, Joel Rosario, 8-1)

4. Yinzer (Steve Asmussen, Ben Curtis, 12-1)

5. Caldera (D. Wayne Lukas, 5-1) Tyler Gaffalione

6. Constructed (Wayne Catalano, Jose Ortiz, 9-2)

7. Vassimo (Todd Pletcher, Irad Ortiz Jr., 12-1)

8. Furio (Joe Sharp, Luis Saez, 12-1)

9. Instant Replay (Brad Cox, 6-1) and Florian Geroux

10. Hypnus (Ken McPeek, Brian Hernandez Jr., 12-1)

By Staff at The Pressbox