Delta Jackpot: Prep over local track may be invaluable to My Adonis

It was all aboard the graded-money express on Wednesday, when an overflow group of 14 2-year-olds were entered for Saturdays Grade 3, $1 million Delta Downs Jackpot. The race will offer this years winner $590,000 in graded earnings, the kind of funds that could secure a young horse a spot in the starting gate for next years Kentucky Derby.

Its a lot of money, said trainer Kelly Breen, who will start My Adonis for owners George and Lori Hall. First and possibly second has a chance of getting into the Kentucky Derby and thats our main goal for all 3-year-olds, if you think you have a chance. Thats where you want to race the first Saturday in May.

The Halls and Breen, who teamed to win this years Belmont Stakes with Ruler On Ice, have been Jackpot fixtures of late, with their best finish a second with West Side Bernie in 2008. Saturday, they have another promising starter in My Adonis, who will break from post 5 under regular rider Elvis Trujillo. My Adonis was a more than five-length winner of the local prep, the $200,000 Jean Lafitte that was run at Delta Downs on Oct. 22.

From being here the past years, I think that having one over the track will help this horse, Breen said. Horses are individuals. Some horses can get over it. But this is a particularly different surface than most racing surfaces its a sand-based track and the turns are tight and Im happy to have one over the track.

My Adonis had first preference into the Jackpot by virtue of his win in the Jean Lafitte, and preferences that take into account graded-stakes placings and overall earnings came into play Wednesday morning. Four horses were excluded as the maximum gate for the Jackpot, a 1 1/16-mile race run on a six-furlong track, is set at 10.

Drill, who drew post 6, was made the 2-1 morning-line favorite for the Jackpot. He is the first Grade 1 winner to start in the race since it was inaugurated in 2002. Martin Garcia has the mount for trainer Bob Baffert.

The complete field from the rail with riders is Longview Drive, Joel Rosario; Seven Lively Sins, Julien Leparoux; Tiz Moe, Jamie Theriot; Basmati, Corey Nakatani; My Adonis, Trujillo; Drill, Garcia; Lauries Rocket, Brian Hernandez Jr.; Sabercat, Gerard Melancon; Dougs Buddy, Rex Stokes, III; and Jake Mo, Don Simington.

The Jackpot is the richest race of the Delta meet and will be supported by seven stakes Saturday. Together, the races are worth $2.1 million. The card will begin at 1:15 p.m. Central, in a departure from the tracks normal night racing schedule. There will be a $100,000 guaranteed pick four that runs on races 4-7, with the final leg being the Jackpot.

* The Jackpots companion race for 2-year-old fillies, the Grade 3, $500,000 Princess, will also be part of the sequence. It will go as the sixth race, with a full field of 10 led by Breeders Cup alum Candrea. The pick four will have a 50-cent minimum.

* The Jackpot is scheduled to be televised on HRTV and TVG. It can also be heard live on Sirius XM Satellite Radio. Mike Joyce of TVG will be onsite Friday, and will co-host Deltas simulcast program with track announcer Don Stevens.

* Forecasters are calling for partly sunny skies and highs in the mid-70s.