The Road to the Derby continues with the $300,000 Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes this Saturday at Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans. Headlining the field of ten is Breeder’s Cup Juvenile third place finisher, Rogue Romance. Rogue Romance is trained by Kenny McPeek and will be ridden by Julien Leparoux. Rogue Romance will be making his three-year-old debut and has been rated the morning line favorite at 3-1. Mucho Macho Man is rated just behind Rogue Romance at 4-1 on the morning line and is returning after finishing fourth in the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes three weeks ago. He’s looking for his first win since breaking his maiden in September and finishing second in two previous starts in stakes races late last year. Decisive Moment is the third choice on the morning line at 9-2.
The most interesting of the rest of the field appear to be 6-1 Santiva and 12-1 Action Ready. Both turned in bullet works at different tracks, going faster than all others working the same distance at the same tracks that day. Having raced only four times, Santiva is already on his third trainer, Eddie Kenneally, and will have his fourth jockey aboard for Saturday’s race. However, he appears to be handling the changes well, finishing in the money in all four of his starts, with his first win being the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club in November. Action Ready finished third in last month’s Grade 3 Lecomte Stakes, which was also run at Fair Grounds. He’s trained by Bret Calhoun and ridden by the up-and-coming female jockey, Rosie Napravnik, who is currently the leading rider at Fair Grounds.
Rounding out the field are Pants On Fire, Machen, Justin Phillip, Sorgho, and Liondrive.
The race is the 10th on the stakes-filled Saturday card at the Fair Grounds and can be seen on TVG and HRTV, both available to satellite and cable viewers. Check back next week for a race recap.
