2 Guys and a Crown: Risen Star Stakes
Description:
Bram Weinstein and Joe Kristufek return in 2016 to take fans step by step down the Triple Crown trail. This week's focus is Saturday’s Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes, a steppingstone to the Louisiana Derby.
Saturday’s Grade 2 Risen Star at Fair Grounds in New Orleans is the first 85-point race on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Surprisingly, no Risen Star winner has ever won the Kentucky Derby and the last Louisiana Derby winner to take home the roses was Grindstone in 1996.
That could change this year, as four of Joe Kristufek's current list of top 20 Kentucky Derby prospects are entered in the Risen Star: Airoforce (No. 3), Mo Tom (No. 8), Gun Runner (No. 9), and Tom’s Ready (No. 20).
Another intriguing 3-year-old in the Risen Star field is Dolphus, who is a half-brother (same dam [mother], different sire [father]) to legendary racemare Rachel Alexandra.
Speaking of the girls, also on tap in New Orleans on Saturday is the Fair Grounds Oaks, which has been a major producer of Kentucky Oaks winners. In fact, four of the last eight winners of the race — Untapable (2014), Believe You Can (2012), Rachel Alexandra (2009) and Proud Spell (2008) — went on to win the Kentucky Oaks.
Joe’s Risen Star Picks
#6 Gun Runner
#10 Airoforce
#2 Mo Tom
#8 Tom's Ready
Joe’s $30 Risen Star Wager
50-cent trifecta: 6,10 with 2,6,8,10 with ALL = $30
Bram’s Risen Star Picks
#12 Uncle Walter
#10 Airoforce
#2 Mo Tom
#8 Tom's Ready
Bram’s $30 Risen Star Wager
$1 trifecta: 12 with 2,4,6,8,9,10 = $30
Joe’s Kentucky Derby Top 20
1. Mohaymen
2. Nyquist
3. Airoforce
4. Mor Spirit
5. Danzing Candy
6. Exaggerator
7. Greenpointcrusader
8. Mo Tom
9. Gun Runner
10. Suddenbreakingnews
11. Smokey Image
12. Gift Box
13. Zulu
14. Brody's Cause
15. Uncle Lino
16. Awesome Banner
17. Cherry Wine
18. Rafting
19. Destin
20. Tom's Ready
$400,000 Risen Star StakesSaturday, Feb. 20, Fair Grounds, 6:21 p.m. ET1 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