by Frank Angst
After earning the first stakes win of his career in his previous start, Soul Warrior will try to continue an impressive string of races in the $750,000 Super Derby (G2) on Saturday at Louisiana Downs.
Soul Warrior has put together three straight impressive starts with a June 4 allowance victory at Churchill Downs, a runner-up finish in the Iowa Derby on June 26 at Prairie Meadows Racetrack, and a narrow victory in the West Virginia Derby (G2) on August 1 at Mountaineer Race Track (video).
In the West Virginia Derby, Soul Warrior edged Big Drama by a neck while Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) winner Mine That Bird finished third.
By Lion Heart, Zayat Stables’ Soul Warrior has won three of seven career starts and earned $589,720. He won his second career start at Fair Grounds last year but finished off the board in a pair of stakes there to start this year.
After finishing fifth in the Louisiana Derby (G2) on March 14, Soul Warrior did not race again until the June 6 win at Churchill.
Surprisingly, trainer Steve Asmussen has never won the Super Derby. Asmussen, who recorded his 5,000th career win on September 11, will saddle Soul Warrior and Uno Mas. Shane Sellers, who returned to racing this year, will ride Uno Mas.
Group 2 winner Regal Ransom will make his first start since finishing eighth in this year’s Kentucky Derby. The S and M al Naboodah Group United Arab Emirates Derby (UAE-G2) winner has won two of six career starts and earned $1,297,200.
Frank Angst is senior writer for Thoroughbred Times