Risen Star Stakes Racing Roundup

©2020 Calvin L. Carter. All rights reserved.

The Championship Series of the Road to the Kentucky Derby kicks off Saturday at the Fair Grounds with the 48^th running of the $400,000 Risen Star Stakes (G2) which has been split into two divisions with eleven horses entered in Division I and twelve horses entered in Division II. The top four finishers in each division will earn 50-20-10-5 Derby points. Here’s a look at the competitors:

DIVISION I – Race 12

(Post Time 6:38 p.m. ET)

         

ENFORCEABLE has been tabbed as the 7-2 morning-line favorite. He comes into this race for trainer Mark Casse with a 2-1-2 record in seven starts including a win last out in the Le Comte Stakes (G 3). Here’s the video and chart call of that race:

ENFORCEABLE went four wide on the first turn, settled towards the rear of the field, was urged along while three wide early on the far turn, shifted five wide while gaining at the five-sixteenths, rallied six wide into the stretch, closed fast to get the lead at the three-sixteenths, kicked clear nearing the furlong marker and held under steady urging.

Enforceable ran toward the back of the herd to the far turn when he swung to the outside and rallied to win by 1½ lengths.

Tapit, the sire of Fame to Famous, was a multiple graded stakes winner that compiled a 3-0-0 record in six starts with $557,300 in career earnings.

As a two-year-old, Tapit was undefeated in two starts including a win in the Laurel Futurity (G3).  Tapit was troubled by a lung infection for much of his three-year-old season but he did win the nine-furlong Wood Memorial Stakes (G1) in route to a ninth-place finish in the 2004 Kentucky Derby.

At stud, Tapit has sired numerous graded stakes winners including the Belmont Stakes (G1) champions Tapwrit (2017), Creator (2016) and Tonalist (2014). In addition to Enforceable, other runners on the Derby trail include Frosted, Hansen, Cupid, Ring Weekend, Constitution, Mohaymen and Hofburg.

A full brother to Mohaymen and a half-brother to New Year’s Day, Enforceable is a colt (Hip 76) we profiled at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and he has an A Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile®.

Enforceable has the breeding to win this race. He’s been training well at the Fair Grounds and he has room to take another big step forward in his second start of the season.

BLACKBERRY WINE (5-1) comes into this race for trainer Joe Sharp with a 2-0-3 record in six starts including a win last out in an Allowance Optional Claiming race at the Fair Grounds. Here’s the chart call of that race:

BLACKBERRY WINE bumped with a rival at the start, went to the front, rounded the first turn in the two path, was well rated while setting the pace off the inside, raced in the two path on the far turn, was asked inside the five-sixteenths, lost the lead in upper stretch, fought back gamely in the final furlong, regained the lead inside the sixteenth-pole and prevailed under vigorous urging.

Blackberry Wine took the lead on the first turn and briefly trailed to Digital in the stretch run but rallied to regain the lead and win by one length.

Orb, the sire of Blackberry Wine, was a multiple graded stakes winner and Classic Champion Thoroughbred that compiled a 5-0-3 record in 12 starts with $2,612,516 in career earnings.

As a two-year-old, Orb was 1-0-1 in four starts in maiden special weight company.

At the age of three, Orb won the Besilu Stables Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) and the Besilu Stables Florida Derby (G1) en route to a first-place finish in the 2013 Kentucky Derby (G1). He also finished third in the Belmont Stakes (G1) and Travers Stakes (G1).

Blackberry Win has an A+ Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® and he’s the best-bred colt in this herd of runners. He’s been training well at the Fair Grounds and I look for him to take another step forward in his second start of the season.

A long shot I like is MOON OVER MIAMI (10-1) who comes into this race for trainer Bill Mott with a 1-0-0 record in three starts including a fifth-place finish last out at Gulfstream Park. Here’s the video and chart call:

MOON OVER MIAMI raced six wide entering the first turn, stayed outside and rated off the early pace, raced seven wide under pressure at head of the lane and lacked the needed response for late impact.

Moon Over Miami ran toward the back of the herd early but made a mild rally in the stretch to miss out on finishing second by 1½ lengths.

Malibu Moon, the sire of Moon Over Miami, made only two starts as a two-year-old, compiling a 1-1-0 record, before a slab fracture ended his racing career.

At stud, Malibu Moon sired the 2013 Kentucky Derby winner Orb. In addition, he’s sired several horses that have been competitive on the Derby trail such as Gormley, Danzig Moon, Mr. Z and Stanford. Other nice runners sired by Malibu Moon include Life At Ten, Devil May Care, Declan’s Moon, Ask the Moon, Prospective, Kauai Katie, Moon Catcher, Moonshine Memories, Ransom the Moon, and Malibu Mint.

Moon Over Miami has an A Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® and he’s a colt we profiled (Hip 607) at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

The beaten favorite last out, Moon Over Miami he has the breeding to win this race, however, he’ll need to improve his game to earn graded stakes honors.

SILVER STATE (4-1) comes into this race for trainer Steve Asmussen with a 1-2-0 record in three starts including a second-place finish in the Le Comte Stakes. Here’s the video and chart call of that race:

SILVER STATE bobbled at the start while bumping with a foe, went four wide on the first turn, settled in the back half of the field, was urged along in the two path for most of the far turn then moved to the three path, swung six wide into the stretch, raced inside of FINNICK THE FIERCE into the final furlong, found clear space in front of him at that point and finished with good energy to get the place.

Silver State came from off the pace and rallied down the stretch and get up for second place honors.

Hard Spun, the sire of Silver State, was undefeated in three starts as a two-year-old, including wins in the Port Penn Stakes and Pennsylvania Nursery Stakes. As a three-year-old on the Derby trail, Hard spun was 2-0-0 in three starts including wins in the Le Comte Stakes (G3) and Lane’s End Stakes (G2).

Hard Spun went on to finish second in the Kentucky Derby (G1), third in the Preakness Stakes (G1) and rounded out his classic campaign with a fourth-place finish in the Belmont Stakes (G1).

As a stallion, Hard Spun’s best runner on the Kentucky Derby trail was Wicked Strong who finished fourth in the 2014 Derby. His other top runners include: Le Romain, Hard Aces, Hard Not to Like, Someries, Gatting, King’s Spun, Promising Run, Questing and Hardest Core.

Silver State has a B Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® and that makes him competitive in this race. Silver State has been training well at the Fair Grounds and I look for him to take another step forward in his first start of the season.

Honorable mention goes to Scabbard (12-1) and Mr. Monomoy (6-1). Scabbard has a C Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® and he’s a colt we profiled (Hip 802) at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

DIVISION II – Race 13

(Post Time 7:12 p.m. ET)

ANNEAU D’OR is tabbed as the morning-line 9-5 favorite in what, potentially, could be a wide-open race. He comes into this race with a 1-2-0 record in three starts for trainer Blaine Wright including a second-place finish in the Los Alamitos Futurity Stakes (G2) last December. Here the video and chart call:

ANNEAU D'OR saved ground stalking the pace, came out on the second turn and three deep into the stretch, bid three wide in the drive, momentarily put a head in front nearing the sixteenth pole and continued gamely to the end.

Anneau d’Or stalked the pace and fought valiantly in the stretch to lose by a narrow neck to the victory Thousand Words.

Medaglia d’Oro, the sire of Anneau d’Or, was a good middle-distance runner that compiled an 8-7-0 record in 17 starts with $5,754,720 in career earnings. Overall, he had seven wins and five second-place finishes in 14 route races.

Medaglia d’Oro finished second in his only start as a two year old but as a three year old he won the San Felipe Stakes (G2) and finished second in the Wood Memorial Stakes (G1) in route to the 2002 Derby where he finished in fourth place.

In the Preakness Stakes (G1), Medaglia d’Oro finished eighth but rebounded from that run to finish second in the Belmont Stakes (G1). He went on to complete his racing season as a three year old with wins in the nine-furlong Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) and the 10-furlong Travers Stakes (G1).

As a four year old, Medaglia d’Oro won the nine-furlong Strub Stakes (G2), Oaklawn Handicap (G2) and Whitney Handicap (G1). In addition, he finished second in the 10-furlong Pacific Classic Stakes (G1) and Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).

At the age of five, Medaglia d’Oro won the nine-furlong Donn Handicap (G1) and finished second in the 10-furlong Emirates Airline Dubai World Cup (G1).

Anneau d’Or has an A+ Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® and time will tell if he can step up to win graded stakes honors.

A long shot I like is MR. BIG NEWS (20-1) who comes into this race with a 1-1-0 record in four starts for trainer Brad Cox including a maiden win last out at the Fair Grounds. Here’s chart call of that race:

 MR. BIG NEWS settled into stride early entering the first turn four wide then coming in a path late on that bend content to track off the leaders toward the rear, began to pick it up three wide moving between foes early on the far turn then tipping out a further path on that bend, took aim in upper stretch, drifted a bit in the lane but got up just in time.

Mr. Big News ran toward the back of the herd to the far turn then made a big move down the stretch run to get up at the wire and win by  a nose.

Giant’s Causeway, the sire of Mr. Big News, was undefeated in three starts as a 2-year-old, including wins in the Group 3 Futurity Stakes and the Group 1 Prix de la Salamandre Stakes, all at 7-furlongs.

As a three year old, Giant’s Causeway raced 10 times and won five Group One races including the Irish Champion Stakes, International Stakes, Sussex Stakes, St. James’s Palace Stakes, Eclipse Stakes and he won the Group 3 Gladness Stakes. He also finished second in four races: Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, 2,000 Guineas Stakes, Irish 2,000 Guineas and he finished second by a narrow neck to Tiznow in the 2000 Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Overall, Giant’s Causeway compiled a 9-4-0 record in 13 starts, winning from 7- to 10-furlongs, and he was the 2000 Cartier Racing Awards European Horse of the Year.

In 2018, Giant’s Causeway died at the age of 21. During his career as a stallion, Giant’s Causeway sired numerous graded and group stakes winners including the Classic Champion Thoroughbreds Shamardal, Mike Fox, and Irish Mission.

In addition, Giant’s Causeway had numerous runners on the Kentucky Derby Trail including Carpe Diem, Giant Oak, Brody’s Cause, Creative Cause, Destin, Cowboy Cal, Hold Me Back, First Samurai, Fed Biz and Eskendereya to name a few.

Mr. Big News has an A+ Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® and he’s a colt we profiled (Hip 3) at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearling Sale. He’s the best-bred colt in this herd of runners and, coming off a maiden win last month, he could be putting everything together at the right time of year.

Mr. Big News has room to improve in his second start of the season and I look for him to run a good race.

Another long shot I like is FAME TO FAMOUS (20-1) who comes into this race with a 1-1-1 record in five starts including a fourth-place finish last November in the Pulpit Stakes at Gulfstream Park. Here’s the video and chart call:

FAME TO FAMOUS secured rail position and settled in range down the backstretch, angled out a couple paths and launched a bid around the far turn, raced in contention entering top stretch then failed to move on.

Racing along the rail, chasing blistering fast fractions, Fame to Famous tracked the leaders but could not make up ground in the stretch to finish fourth to Sole Volante who won the Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) last Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs.

Tapit, the sire of Fame to Famous, was a multiple graded stakes winner that compiled a 3-0-0 record in six starts with $557,300 in career earnings.

As a two-year-old, Tapit was undefeated in two starts including a win in the Laurel Futurity (G3).  Tapit was troubled by a lung infection for much of his three-year-old season but he did win the nine-furlong Wood Memorial Stakes (G1) in route to a ninth-place finish in the 2004 Kentucky Derby.

At stud, Tapit has sired numerous graded stakes winners including the Belmont Stakes (G1) champions Tapwrit (2017), Creator (2016) and Tonalist (2014). Other runners on the Derby trail include Frosted, Enforceable, Hansen, Cupid, Ring Weekend, Constitution, Mohaymen and Hofburg.

Fame to Famous has an A+ Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® and he’s a colt (Hip 662) we profiled at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Fame to Famous has the breeding to win this race and time will tell if he can step up to earn graded stakes honors.

MAJOR FED (10-1) comes into this race for trainer Greg Foley off an impressive maiden last out at the Fair Grounds. Here’s the chart call of that race:

MAJOR FED drifted out just after the start, went three wide on the first turn, was rated off the pace, came under urging near the half-mile pole, went five wide on the far turn, rallied six wide into the stretch, closed strongly to get the lead inside the three-sixteenths then drew away while kept to the task.

Major Fed tracked the leaders mid-pack and made a huge move on the far turn to take the lead and pull away to win by an impressive 4¼ lengths.

Ghostzapper, a 2012 Hall of Fame inductee and the sire of Major Fed, was an incredibly talented, multiple graded stakes winner that compiled a 9-0-1 record in 11 starts with $3,466,120 in career earnings.

As a two-year-old, Ghostzapper won his maiden special weight debut by nine lengths and was 1-0-0 in two starts. At the age of three, Ghostzapper won the Vosburgh Stakes (G1) and finished third in the King’s Bishop (G1), compiling a 3-0-1 record in four starts.

As a four-year-old, Ghostzapper was undefeated in four starts winning the Tom Fool Handicap (G2), Philip H. Iselin Breeders’ Cup Handicap (G3), Woodward Stakes (G1) and the Breeders’ Cup Classic Powered by Dodge (G1). In addition, Ghostzapper was selected as the 2004 Eclipse Horse of the Year and Eclipse Champion Older Horse.

In his only start as a five-year-old, Ghostzapper was a 6 ¼ length winner of the one-mile Metropolitan Handicap (G1).

As a stallion, Ghostzapper’s leading lifetime runners include: Shaman Ghost, Moreno, Judy the Beauty, Paulassilverlining, Better Lucky, Stately Victor, Molly Morgan, Contested and McCraken to name a few.

Major Fed has an A Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® and he has the breeding to be a factor in this race.

Honorable mention goes to Excession (20-1) and Finnick the Fierce (10-1). Excession is a colt (Hip 855) we profiled at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale and he has an A Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile®.

*****

         

This Saturday, the Road to the Kentucky Derby will also take us to Golden Gate Fields racetrack in California for the $100,000 El Camino Real Derby which is not part of the Championship Series of races.

The only horse in this race that interests me as a potential Derby prospect is AZUL COAST (2-1) who comes into the Derby for trainer Bob Baffert off a second-place finish in the Sham Stakes (G3) last out.

Azul Coast has an A+ Classic Champion Thoroughbred Profile® and he was a colt (Hip 1177) we profiled at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He has the breeding to win this race and time will tell if Azul Coast can step up to earn graded stakes honors.

*****

A total of 35 races comprise the Road to the Kentucky Derby. In addition, there are seven races on the European road to the Kentucky Derby and there three races on the Japan road to Derby glory.

2020 KENTUCKY DERBY LEADERBOARD

Ranking, total points, Trainer, Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings

1. Storm the Court, 22, Peter Eurton, $1,136,351

2. Tiz the Law, 22, Barclay Tagg, $456,000

3. Thousand Words, 20, Bob Baffert, $181,000

4. Independence Hall, 14, Mike Trombetta, $205,000

5. Shotski, 14, Jeremiah O’Dwyer, $193,466

6. +Enforceable, 13, Mark Casse, $264,550

7. Anneau d’Or, 12, Blaine Wright, $381,000

8. Shoplifted, 12, Steve Asmussen, $351,000

9. Silver Prospector, 11, Steve Asmussen, $204,851

10. Maxfield, 10, Brendan Walsh, $300,000

11. Eight Rings, 10, Bob Baffert, $200,35

12. Sole Volante, 10, Patrick Biancone, $173,510

13. Dennis’ Moment, 10, Dale Romans, $137,800

14. +Max Player, 10, Linda Rice, $137,500

15. Gold Street, 10, Steve Asmussen, $137,250

16. Authentic, 10, Bob Baffert, $60,000

17. Ajaaweed, 5, Kiaran McLaughlin, $95,000

18. +Scabbard, 6, Eddie Kenneally, $178,000

19. Wrecking Crew, 5, Peter Miller, $293,000

20. Finnick the Fierce, 5, Rey Hernandez, $66,200

30. +Azul Coast, 4, Bob Baffert, $20,000

          + = Enforceable (Hip 76), Max Player (Hip 929), Scabbard (Hip 802) and Azul Coast (Hip 1177) were colts we profiled at the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Unlike other companies that provide automatic computer-generated pedigree analysis of yearlings at auction, Classic Champion Thoroughbreds LLC personally handpicks from the sales catalog all yearlings to be profiled at auction based upon their breeding.

EUROPEAN ROAD LEADERBOARD

Ranking, total points, Trainer, Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings

1. Kameko, 14, Andrew Balding, $192,894

2. Innisfree (IRE), 14, Aidan O’Brien, $127,856

3. Victor Ludorum, 10, Andre Fabre, $250,958

4. Royal Donarch (IRE), 10, Aidan O’Brien, $115,813

5. Alson (GER), 4, J.P. Carvalho, $135,572

6. Shekhem (IRE), 4, Dermot Weld, $24,068

7. Year of the Tiger (IRE), 3, Aidan O’Brien $36,086

8. Armory (IRE), 2, Aidan O’Brien, $258,793

9. Iberia (IRE), 2, Aidan O’Brien, $25,389

10. Gold Maze (GB), 2, Jessica Harrington, $12,034

11. Mogul (GB), 1, Aidan O’Brien, $111,879

12. Ecrivain (FR), 1, Carlos Laffon-Parias, $69.202

13. Camorra (IRE), 1, Ger Lyons, $3,610

JAPAN ROAD LEADERBOARD

Ranking, total points, Trainer, Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings

1. Vacation (JPN), 20, Kenichi Takatsuki, $499,874

2. Dieu du Vin (JPN), 10, Yukihiro Kato, $159,609

3. Iolite (JPN), 8, Yoshinori Muto, $246,008

4. T’s Dunk (JPN), 4, Takashi Mizuno, $143,414

5. Shonan Mario (JPN), 4, Shizuya Kato, $96,526

6. Meisho Tensui (JPN), 2, Katsumi Miani, $255,394

7. Daimei Corrida (JPN), 2, Naoyuki Morita, $107,736

8. Aurora Tesoro, 1, Yoshihiro Hatakeyama, $99,395