A huge total of fifteen horses, including one also-eligible, have been entered in Saturday's $400,000 Risen Star Stakes (gr. II) at Fair Grounds, making the 1 1/16th miles race one of the deepest and most contentious Kentucky Derby prep races of the year thus far.
A small sampling of the entries reveals names like Oxbow, winner of the LeComte Stakes (gr. III); Normandy Invasion, runner-up in the Remsen Stakes (gr. II) last November; Mylute, a hugely impressive allowance winner in January; He's Had Enough, runner-up in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I); and Palace Malice, runner-up to Majestic Hussar in a recent seven-furlong allowance race.
Shipping in from California is Bob Baffert's Code West, runner-up to the well-regarded Super Ninety Nine in a recent allowance race. A son of Lemon Drop Kid out of a Saint Ballado mare, Code West should have no trouble with the distance of the Risen Star, and should appreciate the long homestretch.
Gary Stevens, who has won three stakes races since returning to the saddle last month, will ride the promising maiden winner Proud Strike.
Post Positions:
1 Proud Strike
2 Code West
3 Agent
4 Golden Soul
5 Mylute
6 Palace Malice
7 Hardrock Eleven
8 Ive Struck a Nerve
9 Normandy Invasion
10 Oxbow
11 Bethel
12 He's Had Enough
13 Circle Unbroken
14 Departing
Also-eligible:
15 Sunbean
-Keelerman
No comments:
Post a Comment