Once again, established champions will take center stage at Louisiana Derby Preview Day held at Fairgrounds Racetrack & Slots. Among the six stakes races, five feature previous series winners, including Medoro competing in the $100,000 Albert M. Stoll Memorial Stakes and Normally Long in the $100,000 Colonel Power Stakes.
This Preview Day marks a crucial milestone on the path to the 2026 Kentucky Derby. The Grade 2 $500,000 Fasig-Tipton Risen Star Stakes will award qualifying points on a 50-25-15-10-5 scale to the top five finishers, virtually ensuring the winner a place in the Derby starting gate.
The 12-race card begins at noon CT Saturday. The 1 1/16-mile turf Albert M. Stoll Memorial, featuring a field of nine older mares, is headed by Medlo of the CRK stable. Medlo, favored at 9-5, previously chased race leader Cupid’s Crash in the stretch and dominated Marie G. Krantz on the Lecomte undercard. Trained by Peter Eurton, this Grade 3 winner boasts 12 victories in 13 career starts, including six graded stakes wins. Jockey Jose Ortiz reprises his mount.
Newcomers include Klaravich Stable’s Oversubscribed and Team Valor International’s Feather Boa, both making their debut in the turf series for older mares and open mares. Oversubscribed, trained by Chad Brown, returns after a layoff since winning the Forever Together Stakes at Aqueduct last November; he’ll be ridden by Tyler Gaffalione in his 5-year-old season opener. Feather Boa, a Grade 2 winner from South Africa, has yet to place in three U.S. starts for trainer Todd Pletcher and will be guided by John Velazquez. Speedy Extreme Racing’s Cupid Crash also returns, hoping to upset Medoro under trainer Hugh Robertson.
The Albert M. Stoll Memorial is Race 8 of 12 and is the opening leg of an all-stakes late pick five.
At Saturday’s Colonel Power Stakes, which covers five and a half furlongs on turf for older colts, BG Stables and Selman Shavey-bred Normally Long seeks another big victory after setting a new course record at the Duncan F. Kenner Race Course. The morning-line favorite, with six wins and five losses, has a strong 11-8 record under trainer Robertino Diodoro and reunites with jockey Isaac Castillo.
Adding intrigue to the Colonel Power are two sharp 4-year-olds, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ Bild and Kat Kirk, and Wayne Saunders’ Autodrive, both making their turf debuts. Bild, who qualified for the 151st Kentucky Derby starting gate but opted for the Putt Day Mile instead, delivered a dominant performance last December and earned a six-furlong allowance win for trainer Wayne Catalano. Autodrive is a perfect 3-for-3, including a win at 5 1/2 furlongs, steadily improving under trainer Brett Calhoun.
Other prominent contenders include Turf Sprint (G2) winner Bear River, trained by Keith Desormeaux, and homebred Mondogetsbucket from Town & Country Racing, ridden by Tyler Gaffalione. Mondogetsbucket, trained by Chris Block, placed second to Normally Long at Kenner, with Bear River finishing third. The Colonel Power Stakes is set as Race 3.
Below are the complete fields with jockeys, trainers, and morning-line odds:
Albert M. Stoll Memorial Stakes:
- Medlo (Ortiz, Eurton, 9-5)
- Oversubscribed (Gaffalione, Brown, 5-2)
- Sweet Treasure (Geroux, Brad Cox, 6-1)
- Expensive Queen (Saez, Walsh, 6-1)
- Lucky Speech (Graham, Asmussen, 20-1)
- Sophie’s Cruiser (Castillo, Brinkman, 20-1)
- Mo Expected Value (Concepcion, Brad Cox, 8-1)
- Feather Boa (Velazquez, Pletcher, 8-1)
- Cupid Crush (Pedrosa Jr., Robertson, 15-1)
Colonel Power Stakes:
- Can’t Deny It (Loveberry, Ribery, 12-1)
- Bear River (Graham, Desormeaux, 6-1)
- Mondo Gets Buckets (Gaffalione, Block, 6-1)
- Demolition Duke (Ortiz, Walsh, 12-1)
- Usually Wrong (Castillo, Diodoro, 6-5)
- Constructed (Velasquez, Catalano, 6-1)
- Autodrive (Hernandez Jr., Calhoun, 8-1)
- Champlin (Saez, Foley, 6-1)
Live racing at the Fairgrounds will run from Thursday through Saturday, February 12-14, before the track takes a break on Sunday, February 15. Traditional Lundi Gras and Mardi Gras events will follow.
This article was first published by Paulick Report on February 10, 2026.
Fan Take:
Louisiana Derby Preview Day once again offers a thrilling preview of emerging stars and seasoned contenders vying for Kentucky Derby eligibility, highlighting the deep talent pool in horse racing. For fans and bettors alike, these stakes races provide critical insights into the sport’s future champions and keep the excitement building toward spring’s biggest events.
