FAIR GROUNDS: ELEVEN SLATED TO GO IN G2 RISEN STAR

Posted On 24 Feb 2017

By Rick Francis —-

A starting gate of eleven colts and geldings will go to post in the 45th edition of the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes. The winning connections will garner their share of the 400k purse along with 50 valuable Kentucky Derby points; let’s take a look at the field.

Hodges Photography

Race 11) Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes 3yo 1&1/16th Miles Post Time 5pm CST

Girvin (1), Sharp/Hernandez, B; Tale of Ekati colt won at first asking here sprinting, exits a game second over the Fair Grounds turf course; always forwardly placed, they’ll have to run him down.

Untrapped (2), Asmussen/Santana; by Trappe Shot, colt stalked a sensible pace last out to run second in the G3 LeComte; should get the same set-up here.

Local Hero (3), Asmussen/Geroux; Hard Spun colt romped here last month in breaking his maiden; trainer/jock tandem are 44 percent this meet.

Arklow (4), Cox/Bridgmohan; maiden colt by Arch filled out the superfecta last out in LeComte with a nice late push; should love the distance for hot trainer Cox.

Shareholder Value (5), Amoss/Murrill; Uncle Mo colt didn’t take kindly to the mud in the LeComte, that and being jostled about early in that contest; trainer Amoss is a strong 27 percent at the meet.

Guest Suite (6), Howard/Albarado; gelding by Quality Road has shown improvement in each of his last four, highlighted in last with a rallying effort to win the LeComte; quick worktab since has connections on the road to Kentucky.

U S Officer (7), Pish/Valdivia; out of U S Ranger, colt has been facing a bit lesser with success, and now is as good a time for a class hike; would be a major upset.

Cool Arrow (8), Sharp/Saez; by Into Mischief, colt has strung together four solid efforts, winning three along with a second at Churchill; barn is going to have him ready to run.

Mo Town (9), Dutrow/Velasquez, J; son of Uncle Mo makes his 2017 debut, and if he’s kept his winning form from last year, they’re all running for second. Ended 2016 with a driving win in the G2 Remsen, and comes in off three straight bullet works at his Florida base, Hall of Famer Johnny V stays.

(SCRATCHED)Takeoff (10), Casse/Leparoux; just got outfinished in the LeComte; with drier conditions in the forecast, Arch colt will be forwardly placed once again for trainer that’s having a great meet.

Sorry Erik (11), Desormeaux/Desormeaux; Wilburn colt enters having won two straight at Santa Anita but against short fields; outside post does him no favors.

Horse Fly (12), Lukas/Mena; Mineshaft colt comes in off his maiden score, a gutsy effort at Oaklawn. This guy is going to improve but feel it’ll be later in the summer.

(SCRATCHED)It’s Your Nickel (13), McPeek/Graham; colt out of Dialed In has won two straight, the last a DQ move up here last month. Trainer has a history of pulling off the big ones.

(SCRATCHED)So Conflated (14), O’Neill/Gutierrez; Eskendereya ridgling ships in from the West Coast following his maiden win, a driving effort over the synthetic Golden Gate main track; the surface switch play for O’Neill, 17 percent.