War of Will Continues Fair Grounds Domination
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Photo: Hodges Photography / Amanda Hodges Weir
War of Will wins the Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course
Down in New Orleans, the horse they call "Wow" is simmering along the Road to the Kentucky Derby like a fine batch of jambalaya.
Off a four-length romp in the Jan. 19 Lecomte Stakes (G3) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Gary Barber's War of Will came back Feb. 16 and blew away his competition in the $400,000 Risen Star Stakes Presented by Lamarque Ford (G2).
While the final margin was not as great in Saturday's 1 1/16-mile test as it was in the Lecomte at a mile and 70 yards, the War Front colt still proved best with a 2 1/4-length score. And although jockey Tyler Gaffalione was concerned about his mount remaining focused after making an early move for the lead, as trainer Mark Casse was quick to point out, each race leading up to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) offers valuable experience.
"As I said to Gary Barber when we drew the outside post (13 in a field of 14), all this stuff is going to help down the road," Casse said. "You know, the Kentucky Derby, I've been to a few of them, and you've better have some seasoning. He needs to get the experience."
With Gaffalione aboard to curb the big colt's early enthusiasm, War of Will used his early speed to get over from the outside, then eventually settled off the pace set by Gun It, a $2.6 million yearling buy and the most expensive Triple Crown nominee of 2019.
"He gets out of the gate well, he puts himself where he needs to be, and the rest is about getting him to relax," Gaffalione said.
While Gun It set opening fractions of :23.71 and :47.36, Gaffalione had his feet on the dash early to coax War of Will to bide his time from the four path. Three wide early on the far turn, the eventual winner engaged Gun It early and obtained the advantage as three-quarters went in 1:12.20, and moved clear approaching the quarter pole. While Country House made a green bid into second through a 1:37.87 mile, War of Will held safe under steady urging and finished in 1:44.59 on a track rated fast. Roiland completed the trifecta, 1 1/2 lengths back.
"He's very professional. He does everything the right way," Gaffalione said of the winner. "I'm really looking forward to him next time out."
That next time will come March 23 in the $1 million TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby (G2). There, War of Will should stretch out to 1 1/8 miles and make his final start before a Kentucky Derby bid. The Risen Star score gave him 50 qualifying points toward a spot in the Kentucky Derby starting gate. Combined with his 10 points for winning the Lecomte, War of Will will exit the weekend as the No. 1-ranked horse on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 60 points.
War of Will has a 3-1-1 record from seven starts, with earnings of $491,569. He was bred in Kentucky by Flaxman Holdings out of the stakes-winning Sadler's Wells mare Visions of Clarity, a half sister to multiple group 1 winner Spinning World, a son of Nureyev who took the 1997 Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T). Visions of Clarity also produced Irish group 1 winner Pathfork, stakes winner Tacticus, and stakes-placed Market Outlook. She foaled a Tapit colt in 2017.
Justin Casse picked up War of Will for $298,550 from Oak Tree Farm's consignment to the Arqana May 2-Year-Old Breeze-Up Sale in 2018. The colt was a $175,000 RNA when consigned by Lane's End to the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He performed well in top company on the lawn after running third in maiden company Aug. 24 at Woodbine, with a second in the Sept. 16 Summer Stakes (G1T) at the Toronto track, a fourth in the Oct. 7 Dixiana Bourbon Stakes (G3T) at Keeneland, and a fifth in the Nov. 2 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) at Churchill Downs. But it wasn't until the move to dirt that he broke his maiden, collected his first graded stakes score in the Lecomte, and aced the comeback question Saturday by winning his first grade 2.
And don't think Casse will do anything to halt the hype of his latest star. He's not only on the bandwagon, he's driving it.
"I've been fortunate enough to train some pretty good horses, and he's one of the best," he said. "I have the utmost confidence in him."