Chip Honcho Tops Nine-Horse Field for Grade 2 Louisiana Derby

Chip Honcho heads into Saturday's 113th running of the Grade 2, $1 million Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds as the 3-1 morning-line favorite, carrying the weight of a strong prep campaign and a trainer-jockey combination that knows how to close the deal on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

Trained by Steven Asmussen and ridden by Luis Saez, the Connect colt posted a rating of 7.56 in his most recent start, a game runner-up finish in the Risen Star Stakes (G2). That second-place effort, which earned a figure of 111, did nothing to diminish his standing as the horse to beat in a nine-horse field of 3-year-olds at the 1 3/16-mile distance. A win on March 21 would add a second Kentucky Derby prep title to his resume and deliver 100 qualifying points toward Churchill Downs, a haul that would cement his status as a legitimate Derby contender.

The most credible threat on paper may be Pavlovian, who draws post position No. 1 under Doug O'Neill and Edwin Maldonado at 6-1 odds. The Pavel colt arrives off a dominant victory in the Sunland Derby, where he posted a 120 figure, the highest last-out number in the published portion of the field. That kind of speed figure commands respect, even against a favorite with Chip Honcho's credentials.

Universe, trained by Kenneth McPeek and ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr., carries 12-1 morning-line odds despite a 7.33 rating. The Global Campaign colt finished fourth in the Risen Star, posting a 102 figure, and faces the task of reversing form against Chip Honcho in the same spot.

Brad Cox sends out Autobahn at 8-1, with Marcelino Pedroza Jr. in the irons. The Nyquist colt was a winner at Gulfstream Park on February 21, but that maiden win carrying an 89 figure represents a significant class jump into Grade 2 company against horses who have already contested graded stakes.

The Louisiana Derby is a Championship Series event, meaning the points on offer, 100 to the winner, 50 for second, 25 for third, 15 for fourth, and 10 for fifth, carry maximum weight in the Derby qualification picture. Five horses in the field will leave Fair Grounds with points. The question is whether Chip Honcho, the highest-rated entry at 7.56, can translate that edge into the 100 points that would put his name firmly on the Churchill Downs shortlist.