West Point began the winter in New Orleans with a victory from Jace’s Road in the first prep for the Louisiana Derby. On Saturday, Jace’s Road and up-and-comer Cagliostro tackle the main event, part of a cast of 12 for the $1-million Louisiana Derby (G2) at Fair Grounds. This is the biggest prep so far on the Road to the 2023 Kentucky Derby, with 200 qualifying points on the line for the five finishers.

Jace’s Road dominated the Gun Runner Stakes the day after Christmas at Fair Grounds, setting all the pace and drawing off to prevail by 5 1/2 lengths underneath Florent Geroux. He struggled on a sloppy track in the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn next time out, just as he did at Churchill Downs in October in his only other race on an “off” racetrack. The forecast looks mostly clear for Saturday’s big card in New Orleans, with a chance of scattered storms in the morning hours.

Geroux regains the mount on Jace’s Road in the 9 1/2-furlong Louisiana Derby for trainer Brad Cox. West Point and Albaugh Family Stable acquired the son of Quality Road at the Keeneland September yearling sale.

Cagliostro is poised for a big test, coming off two promising performances in New Orleans: he broke his maiden in style on January 21 and followed with a second-place finish by a neck in a fast allowance on February 18. By several metrics, including Beyer and Ragozin speed figures, the allowance was a faster race than the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes a few hours later on the same card.

West Point campaigns Cagliostro in a racing partnership with David Ingordo, Talla Racing, James Spry and Nice Guy Stables. Cherie DeVaux trains the colt, plucked from the OBS April sale of 2-year-olds in training.

America’s Best Racing Cheat Sheet for the Louisiana Derby