By Brian Mulligan

Fans following the Triple Crown run are in for 2 solid preps this weekend as the Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds and the Gotham at Aqueduct will be renewed. 

In New York, the one to beat could be Summer Doldrums. This guy really turned it on after being sent long and he parlayed a win in an entry-level allowance to a sizzling score in the Whirlaway. In that stakes he took the heat in the kitchen early and fought for the lead, then drew away when asked winning by over 5 lengths with a 106 Beyer.

Doldrums has the blood on the bottom side as his dam banked nearly $200,000 and is kin to multiple stakes winner and near $350K earner Cielo Girl.

The Gotham looms a competitive race. You will have recent Freddy Caposella winner Wollaston Bay, streaking How Sweet He Is, who will be shooting for the hat trick, Mint Slewlep, an impressive recent maiden winner and Gulfstream invaders Longley and Cowtown Cat.

The Cat impressed to kick off the year in a clever sprint win, then was a press and fade third in Adore the Gold’s Swale score. That race will only help in the maturation process and Cat’s trainer Todd Pletcher had this to say on the Big A website.

Pletcher: “We felt after the last race that he was a little one-paced. He was rushed a bit down the backside and never got to settle. After the race, (Velazquez) came back and said, ‘it looks like he wants to stretch out.”

These days, it’s good to be Pletcher. He won 5 races at Gulfstream last Saturday and is loaded for bear for the Triple Crown assault.

In ‘Orleans, 8 will go to the post in the $600,000 Louisiana Derby. To show how close the combatants are, all you have to do is look at the morning line numbers. If you toss the chalk, Circular Quay at 9-5 and the longest shot on the morning line, Slew’s Tizzy at 15-1, the rest of the field is tabbed at between 7-2 and 10-1.

From the rail out, this is how it looks. Circular Quay had no real chance in the Risen Star last time when the race was marred by a spill. Quay has lost some luster since starting his career like a ball of fire but his 2nd in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile was better than it looked as nobody was going to beat Street Sense that day.

Ketchikan is lightly raced but he’s going in the right direction and is coming off a 99 Beyer and a non winners of one victory. As far as his pedigree, there is nothing but winners in the clan. Four have banked 6 figures including near $350K earner Un Fino Vino.

Slew’s Tizzy has his work cut out. He is one for 4 and was crushed in the Risen Star. Birdbirdistheword was beaten by just over 3 lengths by Circular Quay last year but rebounded with a clever win in the million-dollar Delta Jackpot. In making his first start of the year, it’s hard to see him being cranked to the gills for the 2007 opener.

In post 5 comes Liquidity, who will be making his 2nd start away from California. He is yet another Doug O’Neill budding star and is fresh from a solid second to Ravel in the Grade 3 Sham at Santa Anita.

Zanjero will be a big player. He made a huge move to make the top in the Risen Star but just held on for third, 4 lengths in front of the 4th horse. This guy has a nice future. His dam was unraced but is kin to a Grade 3 winner and the other foal from the dam won a number of stakes and banked nearly $300K. He’s also in the right hands of Steve Asmussen.

Soaring By is the other Pletcher charge and is fresh from a sprint tightner at Gulfstream. Could see this guy on the motor early softening up the other speed but there are stamina issues. Top sibling is a millionaire in Japan but that guy was strictly a sprinter and his bankroll is padded.

On the extreme outside is a live longshot in Imawildandcrazyguy. This up and comer gave Notional all he could handle last time and is improving hourly. He is seasoned and can only improve after getting a feel of the surface.

Expect this pace scenario. Since Circular Quay has zero speed, look for the other Pletcher Soaring By to gun and make the lead. Liquidity could be the closest pursuer with Ketchikan and Slew’s Tizzy in the 2nd flight. As the race unfolds the key race will be Liquidity’s neck beat to Stormello, who came back last weekend and lost a tear jerker in Florida. Corey Nakatani will have the son of Tiznow in full flight with a hundred yards to go and he’ll hold off longshot Imawildandcrazyguy for 2nd with Circular Quay third and a beaten chalk.