International Star Closes for Lecomte Score

On a night when they could win multiple Eclipse Awards for North America's leading owner and breeder, Ken & Sarah Ramsey found their first potential contender for the 2015 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) when International Star aced the $200,000 Lecomte Stakes (gr. III) Jan. 17 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots .

Running down War Story and Tiznow R J in the final yards, the 3-year-old New York-bred son of Fusaichi Pegasus   earned his first victory since taking the Grey Stakes (Can-III) on the Polytrack at Woodbine on Oct. 5. He came off a fourth-place finish for trainer Mike Maker in the Nov. 29 Kentucky Jockey Club (gr. II) to finish the one mile, 70-yard test on a fast track in 1:43.62.

The 2 1/2-length victory gave International Star 10 points on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard.

Jockey Miguel Mena waited patiently while giving International Star a ground-saving rail trip behind opening fractions of :23.66 and :47.07. That pace was set mostly by longshot Hero of Humor, who turned back the rank advance of Runhappy until turning for home.

As the leaders faded Tiznow R J and War Story engaged in a battle for the lead through a 1:39.48 mile, but Mena switched International Star off the rail to the center of the track and the green colt accelerated with ears pricked to pass his rivals in the final sixteenth.

"The plan was to save ground on both turns and then he came out at the three-sixteenths-pole and he came rolling," Mena said. "He was running hard but he kind of pulled himself up a little at the end when he found himself alone on the lead."

Off at odds of 9-1, International Star paid $20.40, $8.80, and $5.20. War Story brought $7.20 and $4.60, while Tiznow R J returned $4.20. Completing the order of finish were Another Lemon Drop, Savoy Stomp, Hero of Humor, 7-2 favorite Eagle, Dekabrist, Runhappy, Killingit, and Four Leaf Chief.

According to jockey James Graham, War Story had more to give.

"He did what we asked him to do," Graham said. "We haven't got to the bottom of him yet. The trip was a little rough at the start. I got slammed twice but after that he settled into the race for me."

Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. also mentioned a rough trip aboard Eagle.

"Nothing was smooth about the trip. He was on the far outside and then got slammed by the horse that was running off. Nothing went right today," Hernandez said.

Bred by Katharine M. Voss and Robert T. Manfuso out of the French Deputy mare Parlez, International Star was an $85,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2013 Eastern fall yearling sale purchase. He has  won three starts, with two seconds, from seven outings.

"He's been training very well," Maker said. "We expected a big race—maybe not that big—but he was coming into the race great. We'll bring him back to Florida and take a hard look at the (Feb. 21) Risen Star (gr.II)."