LOUISIANA DERBY : Longshot Kandaly Uses a Fast Finish to Win

Kandaly, an 8-1 shot with new ties to the Louisiana team that took Risen Star to two Triple Crown victories, closed rapidly in the stretch Saturday to win the $300,000 Louisiana Derby.

Running in only his fourth race, Kandaly was well back early while Argolid set fast fractions of 22 3/5, 45 4/5 and 1:10 3/5. But Craig Perret guided Kandaly to the outside to win by 1 1/2 lengths.

Kandaly covered 1 1/16 miles at the Fair Grounds in 1:42 4/5. Game Coin was second and Argolid third.

“Tell those people in Kentucky, they’re in trouble,” said Kandaly’s co-owner, Ronnie Lamarque, who purchased a half-share in the colt with trainer Louie Roussel III on Feb. 26. “We’re coming back.”

It was the Lamarque-Roussel team that owned Risen Star when he won the 1988 Louisiana Derby before finishing third in the Kentucky Derby and winning the Preakness and Belmont Stakes.

Lamarque said he and Roussel negotiated to buy half of Kandaly from New York-based owner Roz Cole after the horse beat Clev Er Irish, another colt they own, in a February allowance race at the Fair Grounds.

Fly Cry, who had won both local prep races for the Louisiana Derby, tying a stakes record set by Risen Star in one of them, ran fourth after going off as the 9-5 favorite.