HAWTHORNE RACE COURSE
| Hawthorne Racecourse (10/16/03) Contact: Jim Miller Lismore Knight Leads Way in Hawthorne Derby STICKNEY, IL -- Todd Pletcher trained Lismore Knight drew the rail for Saturday's running of the Grade 3, $250,000 Hawthorne Derby. The 39th running of the Derby will go as Hawthorne's eighth race on the card as the three-year-olds will go 1 1/8 miles on the turf. A field of 11 has been assembled by Stakes Coordinator Deborah Lindsay and a very strong field is set to go to the gate. Lismore Knight comes into the Derby with two wins and two third place efforts from five starts on the year. After winning an allowance race on the grass at Belmont in May, he jumped into the Graded Stakes ranks with a win in the Grade 2 Arlington Classic on June 28. He followed that race up with a pair of third place finishes in the Kent Breeders' Cup (G3) and the Secretariat (G1). Most recently, he faded to finish sixth in the Jamaica Handicap at Belmont on September 21. Installed as the 7-2 morning line choice, Lismore Knight will be ridden by Norberto Arroyo, Jr. Gentlemen J J is one of the runners that has been on the Hawthorne grounds for over a week. A winner of four of 12 on the year, he has found the board in each of his last five races, including a pair of allowance wins, and a pair of second place efforts, most recently missing by a neck in the Donnie Wilhite Memorial at Louisiana Downs on September 20. Eddie Martin Jr has the mount for the 4-1 morning line shot. Foufa's Warrior returns to Hawthorne as he looks for his second win of the year. A fast closing third on the dirt behind Ten Most Wanted in the Grade 2 Illinois Derby on April 5, he came off a pair of flat efforts in following races to defeat Graded Stakes company in the Grade 3 Kent Breeders' Cup, defeating Lismore Knight in that race. Fitting well at this distance, Foufa's Warrior is the third choice in the line at 9-2 with Jeremy Rose in the saddle. Listed Below is the entire field for the Hawthorne Derby: PP Horse Jockey M/L ### |