Airoforce, Mo Tom Rematch Looms in Risen Star

Airoforce, pictured winning the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes, makes his 3-year-old debut against familiar rival Mo Tom in Saturday's Risen Star Stakes. (Photos by Eclipse Sportswire)
The last time Airoforce and Mo Tom faced each other was in the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at the end of November. Airoforce came out on top that day, with Mo Tom beaten a head for second before improving to win the Grade 3 LeComte Stakes last month at Fair Grounds. The 44th running of the Grade 2, $400,000 Risen Star Stakes will be the second meeting between these two on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.
Eleven other horses will be lining up to try to earn a share of the 85 points available to the top four finishers in the first of 16 races that are part of the Kentucky Derby “Championship Series.” That group includes LeComte runner-up Tom's Ready and third place finisher Uncle Walter as well as Kentucky Jockey Club third-place finisher Gun Runner. Laoban (still a maiden) ships from California off a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Sham Stakes, while Grade 3 Jerome Stakes third-place finisher In Equality comes in from New York. Of the rest, two horses that are intriguing may be Its All Relevant and Bistraya, both of whom dominated in their most recent races.
Its All Relevant started his career on turf, finishing second when stretched out to two turns for the first time last summer in his second career start. After a disappointing third-place finish on turf his trainer, Dominick Schettino, tried him on dirt in two races last fall, where he finished fourth and then second. Given time off to mature, Its All Relevant returned in mid-January, dominating by eight lengths with a 99 Equibase Speed Figure effort. To put that effort in perspective, Mo Tom earned a 99 figure winning the LeComte. Adding to factors in his favor, Its All Relevant is a half-brother to two stakes winners that ran very well around two turns, including 2015 Indiana Derby winner Tiz Shea D. With improvement logical in his second start off a layoff, Its All Relevant should outrun his high odds (starting at 15-1) and could post the upset in this year's Risen Star Stakes.
Airoforce was trying dirt for the first time in the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes after three races on turf and had no problems with the surface whatsoever, winning in a field of 12 with a career-best 107 figure. Never worse than second in his three previous starts, Airoforce starts his 3-year-old campaign off a series of exceptional workouts, the last four all in the top 10 percent on the day, suggesting he can pick up where he left off in the fall – with a stakes victory. 
Mo Tom has three wins and two third-place finishes in his five-race career, his most recent effort a career best with a 99 figure winning the LeComte Stakes over the track in spite of hitting the gate as the race began. Mo Tom had been away from the races since his third place finish behind Airoforce in the Kentucky Jockey Club last fall and returned in fine shape, with improving to do second off the layoff. As such, he would be no surprise if right in the thick of the action at the finish once again.
MO TOM

Bistraya has to be considered as another live longshot, similar to Its All Relevant, as his most recent race was his best ever. In addition to earning a 103 figure that is the second-best figure in the field (to the 107 Airoforce earned in his last race), Bistraya has early speed and none of the three horses inside him in the gate appear to have any, so he could set the pace just as he did last month when leading from start to finish in a field of 10. That was his first two-turn race and his first after two months off so like many in here, Bistraya has potential to run even better. 
Although I've listed four horses that I think are the main win contenders, there are many that can finish second or third in my opinion and should be considered for the exacta or trifecta, including Forevamo, Gun Runner, Tom's Ready, Uncle Walter and Candy My Boy. 
The rest of the field, with their best representative Equibase Speed Figures, is Candy My Boy (98), Dolphus (87), Forevamo (93), Gun Runner (97), In Equality (95), Laoban (90), Tom's Ready (96), Uncle Walter (94) and Zapperini (86). 
My selections:It's All RelevantAiroforceMo TomBistraya
$400,000 Risen Star Stakes
Saturday, Feb. 20, Fair Grounds, 6:21 p.m. ET
1 1/16 miles, 3-year-olds, dirt

PP

Horse

Jockey

Trainer

Owner

Odds

1

In Equality

Junior Alvarado

Leah Gyarmati

Treadway Racing Stable

30-1

2

Mo Tom

Corey J. Lanerie

Thomas M. Amoss

G M B Racing

3-1

3

Dolphus

Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.

Joe Sharp

Dede McGehee

15-1

4

Bistraya

Edwin A. Maldonado 

Ricky Agarie

LeeAnn Ohanesian

15-1

5

Forevamo

Colby J. Hernandez

Al Stall Jr.

Brittlyn Stable

12-1

6

Gun Runner

Florent Geroux

Steve Asmussen

Winchell Thoroughbreds and Three Chimneys Farm

6-1

7

Its All Relevant

Joe Bravo

Dominick Schettino

MeB Racing Stables and Brooklyn Boyz Stables

15-1

8

Tom's Ready

John Velazquez

Dallas Stewart

G M B Racing

8-1

9

Laoban

Miguel Mena

Eric Guillot

McCormick Racing and Southern Equine Stable

30-1

10

Airoforce

Julien Leparoux

Mark Casse

John Oxley

5-2

11

Zapperini

Francisco C. Torres

Gregory D. Foley

Lloyd Madison Farms IV

30-1

12

Uncle Walter

Javier Castellano

Mike Maker

Ken and Sarah Ramsey

8-1

13

Candy My Boy

Shaun Bridgmohan

Roger A. Brueggemann

Frank Mancari

15-1