Betting the Risen Star on a Budget

International Star (above) won the Lecomte Stakes in January and should be a major threat in Saturday's Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds. (Photo by Eclipse Sportswire)
Mardi Gras is behind us and now it’s time to get serious in New Orleans. The Road to the Kentucky Derby swings back through "The Big Easy" this Saturday for the Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds, the final local prep race for the Louisiana Derby.
This steppingstone to the Risen Star, the Lecomte Stakes, featured three runners who will enter the starting gate this Saturday. International Star, War Story, and Tiznow R J finished first, second and third, respectively, in the Lecomte. Only 1 1/16 miles on dirt, including the long Fair Grounds stretch, stands between this field of 10 and $400,000 in purse money, with 50 Kentucky Derby qualifying points up for grabs to the victor.
Even with several familiar foes in the field, it’s a newcomer that has drawn the attention of many.
The regally bred Imperia makes his second appearance on dirt after a productive 2-year-old campaign on turf that included a graded stakes win at Belmont Park.
IMPERIA WINNING AT BELMONT PARK IN 2014

Photo by NYRA
Imperia’s first start on dirt, a close second to El Kabeir in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes to close his 2-year-old season, is impressive on paper, but that was nearly three months ago.
A meaningful layoff for the three-year-old could spell “new and improved” or “rusty.” As the favorite in the race, I’ll on err on the side of “rusty.”
My pick to click is the morning-line second choice International Star. His trip in the Lecomte was nothing short of gutsy. In the Lecomte stretch, he navigated off the rail, around the pack, took a detour to pick up a beignet from Café Du Monde, and passed the finish line first by 2 1/2 lengths. OK, maybe the French Quarter detour was a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the picture: he simply refused to lose that race. The added distance, less than a sixteenth of a mile, in this race should not be a problem for him, and International Star’s posted workouts have been solid since his Lecomte showing. Mind you, he was a well-beaten fourth in the aforementioned Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes, which indicates this is a horse on the rise.
Other than International Star, this race appears wide open. Plenty of solid trainers should have quality horses in line to run a big race. No one should take down International Star though.
Good luck this weekend and “Laissez les bon temps roulez!”
Betting Strategy on a Budget
$10 win: #10 International Star ($10)
$1 exacta: 10 with All ($9)
Total=$19
$400,000 Risen Star Stakes
Saturday, Race 11, Fair Grounds, Post Time 6:24 p.m. ET
1 1/16 miles, dirt, 3-year-olds

PP

Horse

Jockey

Trainer

Owner

1

St. Joe Bay

Florent Geroux

Peter Miller

Altamira Racing Stable and Bernsen, David A.

2

Tiznow R J

Robby Albarado

Steve Asmussen

Mike McCarty

3

Bluff

Kerwin Clark

Larry Jones

Fox Hill Farms

4

J S Bach

Rafael Bejarano

Todd Pletcher

Donald R. Dizney

5

Imperia 

Mike Smith

Kiaran McLaughlin

Godolphin Racing

6

War Story 

Kent Desormeaux

Tom Amoss

Dunn, Christopher T. and Loooch Racing Stables, Inc.

7

Hero of Humor

Antioco Murgia

Gennadi Dorochenko

Gennadi Dorochenko

8

Keen Ice 

James Graham

Dale Romans

Donegal Racing

9

Big Big Easy

Richard Eramia

Steve Asmussen

Dilworth, Scott and Evan

10

International Star

Miguel Mena

Mike Maker

Ramsey, Kenneth L. and Sarah K.