Outside Post Awaits War of Will in Risen Star

While War of Will delivered a dominating performance in the Lecomte Stakes (G3) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, that effort failed to scare off any competition as the son of War Front  is expected to face 13 rivals Feb. 16 in the $400,000 Risen Star Stakes presented by Lamarque Ford (G2).

The four-length Lecomte victory Jan. 19 gave Gary Barber's War of Will his second win in as many starts since being switched to dirt. To stay perfect in three dirt starts, War of Will will need to overcome an outside post in a full field entered in the Risen Star. Of the 15 entries, which includes also-eligible Gun It, War of Will drew post 14.

Trained by Mark Casse, War of Will made his first four starts on turf, earning a grade 1-placing in the Summer Stakes at Woodbine and finishing fifth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T). After that start, War of Will was moved to the dirt for a Nov. 24 maiden race at Churchill Downs, where he drew off in the stretch for an easy win.

War of Will made his 3-year-old seasonal debut in the Lecomte and won with similar ease, drawing off when asked for his best at the quarter pole by jockey Tyler Gaffalione—who will be aboard Saturday. Off the win, War of Will was the fifth individual choice (17-1) in the Kentucky Derby Future Wager that concluded Feb. 10.

Despite the big Lecomte effort, five of the six horses who finished immediately behind him in that one-mile and 70 yard race are back in the 1 1/16-mile Risen Star's full field, including runner-up Hog Creek Hustle, who earned his first stakes-placing in the Lecomte; and third-place finisher Manny Wah, who set the pace early.

"It's pretty well the same bunch that he'll be up against," Casse said. "Obviously the post is outside but we'd rather be out there than inside. He's got enough speed so he'll get over and if he's as good as we think he is, it shouldn't matter."

Part of the reason for the popularity of Saturday's Risen Star is it is the first race of 2019 to award 50 qualifying points to the winner in the Road to the Derby Series. The top four finishers earn qualifying points on a scale of 50-20-10-5.

An intriguing horses shipping in is Maury Shields, E. J. M. McFadden, and LNJ Foxwoods' Country House, an impressive maiden winner Jan. 17 at Gulfstream Park for trainer Bill Mott.

Clearview Stables' Kingly, who won first-out in December in a six-furlong maiden race at Del Mar and finished second in a one-mile allowance optional-claiming race Jan. 21 at Santa Anita Park for trainer Bob Baffert, was entered but Fair Grounds said Feb. 12 he will not make the race.

Entries: Risen Star S. presented by Lamarque Ford (G2)

Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Saturday, February 16, 2019, Race 12

• Grade II
• 1 1/16m
• Dirt
• $400,000
• 3 yo
• 6:02 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Plus Que Parfait (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	122	Brendan P. Walsh	10/1
2	2Roiland (KY)	James Graham	122	Thomas M. Amoss	20/1
3	3Mr. Money (KY)	Gabriel Saez	122	W. Bret Calhoun	12/1
4	4Chase the Ghost (KY)	Mitchell Murrill	122	Dallas Stewart	30/1
5	5Henley's Joy (KY)	Manuel Franco	122	Michael J. Maker	10/1
6	6Hog Creek Hustle (KY)	Florent Geroux	122	Vickie L. Foley	8/1
7	7Manny Wah (KY)	Channing Hill	122	Wayne M. Catalano	12/1
8	8Owendale (KY)	Shaun Bridgmohan	122	Brad H. Cox	6/1
9	9Country House (KY)	Luis Saez	122	William I. Mott	20/1
10	10Limonite (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	122	Steven M. Asmussen	10/1
11	11Dunph (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	122	Michael J. Maker	20/1
12	12Frolic More (KY)	Corey J. Lanerie	122	Dallas Stewart	10/1
13	13Kingly (KY)	Drayden Van Dyke	122	Bob Baffert	12/1
14	14War of Will (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	122	Mark E. Casse	5/2
15	15Gun It (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	122	Steven M. Asmussen	10/1