Jace’s Road drilled a beautiful six furlongs Friday in his penultimate move leading up to the Kentucky Derby.

The colt worked head and head with Arkansas Derby (G1) winner Angel of Empire, clocked in 1:13.40. They galloped out seven-eighths in 1:26.40.

Florent Geroux guided Jace’s Road and will have the mount on Kentucky Derby day, provided Jace’s Road gets into the field. With 45 qualifying points, he needs a single defection to crack the expected full field of 20.

Jace’s Road earned the bulk of his points at Fair Grounds in New Orleans with a victory in the Gun Runner Stakes and a third-place finish in the Louisiana Derby for West Point and racing partner Albaugh Family Stable.

A case of de ja vu?

Nine years ago, Commanding Curve finished third in the Louisiana Derby for West Point and was sitting on the outside looking in for a few weeks before he made the cut and ran a dynamite race on the First Saturday in May, finishing second at 38-to-1 odds.