Risen Star Stakes

The Risen Star Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses run annually in February at the Fair Grounds Race Course. In 2020, the distance was increased from ​1 ¹⁄₁₆ miles to ​1 ¹⁄₈ miles on the dirt. A Grade II event, it currently offers a purse of $400,000. The American Graded Stakes Committee upgraded the race to Grade II from Grade III in 2010.[2]

Risen Star Stakes

Grade II race
Location	Fair Grounds Race Course New Orleans, Louisiana
Inaugurated	1973
Race type	Thoroughbred - Flat racing
Website	www.fairgroundsracecourse.com
Race information
Distance	​1 ^1⁄8 miles (9 furlongs)
Surface	Dirt
Track	left-handed
Qualification	Three-year-olds
Weight	122 lbs.
Purse	$400,000 (since 2013)[1]

The race is the major prep for the Louisiana Derby and is part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby.

History

Previously known as the Louisiana Derby Trial Stakes, in 1989 it was renamed to honor locally owned Risen Star who won the race in 1988 and went on to win the Preakness and Belmont Stakes and be voted the 1988 Eclipse Award for American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse.

The Risen Star has not produced a winner of the Kentucky Derby. However, it has produced two winners of the second leg of the American Triple Crown: War of Will (2019) and Master Derby (1975). It has also produced two winners of the Breeders' Cup Classic: Gun Runner and Mucho Macho Man.[3]

The Risen Star Stakes was run in two divisions in 1989, 1993, 1995 and 2020.

Records

Speed record:

• 1:42.80 - Zarbs Magic (1996) (for ​1 ¹⁄₁₆ miles)

Winners of the Risen Star Stakes since 1988

Year	Winner	Age	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Distance (Miles)	Time	Grade
2020 #	Modernist	3	Junior Alvarado	Bill Mott	Pam and Martin Wygood	​1 ^1⁄8	1:51.28	II
2020 #	Mr. Monomoy	3	Florent Geroux	Brad Cox	Madaket Stables, M. Dubb & Doheny Racing	​1 ^1⁄8	1:50.43	II
2019	War of Will	3	Tyler Gaffalione	Mark Casse	Gary Barber	​1 ^1⁄16	1:44.59	II
2018	Bravazo	3	Miguel Mena	D. Wayne Lukas	Calumet Farm	​1 ^1⁄16	1:42.95	II
2017	Girvin	3	Brian Hernandez, Jr.	Joe Sharp	Brad Grady	​1 ^1⁄16	1:43.08	II
2016	Gun Runner	3	Florent Geroux	Steve Asmussen	Winchell Thoroughbreds/Three Chimneys Farm	​1 ^1⁄16	1:43.94	II
2015	International Star	3	Miguel Mena	Michael J. Maker	Sarah & Ken Ramsey	​1 ^1⁄16	1:43.82	II
2014	Intense Holiday	3	Mike E. Smith	Todd Pletcher	Brereton C. Jones	​1 ^1⁄16	1:43.86	II
2013	Ive Struck a Nerve	3	James Graham	J. Keith Desormeaux	Big Chief Racing	​1 ^1⁄16	1:44.52	II
2012	El Padrino	3	Javier Castellano	Todd A. Pletcher	Let's Go Stable	​1 ^1⁄16	1:42.96	II
2011	Mucho Macho Man	3	Rajiv Maragh	Katherine Ritvo	Reeves Thoroughbred Racing/ Dream Team Racing Stable	​1 ^1⁄16	1:43.98	II
2010	Discreetly Mine	3	Javier Castellano	Todd A. Pletcher	E. Paul Robsham Stables, LLC	​1 ^1⁄16	1:44.88	II
2009	Friesan Fire	3	Gabriel Saez	J. Larry Jones	Fox Hill Farms/Vinery	​1 ^1⁄16	1:45.11	III
2008	Pyro	3	Shaun Bridgmohan	Steve Asmussen	Winchell Thoroughbreds	​1 ^1⁄16	1:44.68	III
2007	Notional	3	Robby Albarado	Doug O'Neill	J. Paul Reddam	​1 ^1⁄16	1:44.18	III
2006 ^1	Lawyer Ron	3	John McKee	Robert E. Holthus	James T. Hines, Jr.	​1 ^1⁄16	1:43.13	III
2005	Scipion	3	Gary Stevens	Patrick L. Biancone	Virginia Kraft Payson	​1 ^1⁄16	1:44.54	III
2004	Gradepoint	3	Robby Albarado	Neil J. Howard	Mt. Brilliant Stable/W. S. Farish	​1 ^1⁄16	1:45.36	III
2003	Badge of Silver	3	Robby Albarado	Ronny Werner	Ken & Sarah Ramsey	​1 ^1⁄16	1:42.99	III
2002	Repent	3	Tony D'Amico	Kenneth McPeek	Select Stable	​1 ^1⁄16	1:43.86	III
2001	Dollar Bill	3	Chris McCarron	Dallas Stewart	Gary & Mary West	​1 ^1⁄16	1:43.45
2000	Exchange Rate	3	Corey Nakatani	D. Wayne Lukas	Padua Stables	​1 ^1⁄16	1:44.25
1999	Ecton Park	3	Shane Sellers	W. Elliott Walden	Mark H. Stanley	​1 ^1⁄16	1:44.83
1998	Comic Strip	3	Shane Sellers	Neil J. Howard	Elkins/Farish/Humphrey	​1 ^1⁄16	1:44.20
1997	Open Forum	3	Donna Barton	D. Wayne Lukas	Bob & Beverly Lewis	​1 ^1⁄16	1:44.20
1996	Zarbs Magic	3	E. J. Perrodin	Bret Thomas	Foxwood Plantation	​1 ^1⁄16	1:42.80
1995 #	Knockadoon	3	Willie Martinez	Anthony Reinstedler	William K. Warren, Jr.	​1 ^1⁄16	1:45.44
1995 #	Beavers Nose	3	K. Bourque	Hebert Eldridge	R. Raymond & D. Philips	​1 ^1⁄16	1:45.22
1994	Fly Cry	3	R. Ardoin		Al Prats & Wayne Simpson	​1 ^1⁄16	1:43.02
1993 #	Dixieland Heat	3	Randy Romero	Gerald Romero	Leland Cook	​1 ^1⁄16	1:43.20
1993 #	Dry Bean	3	Aaron Gryder			​1 ^1⁄16	1:43.80
1992	Line in the Sand	3	Shane Romero		Lane's End Farm	​1 ^1⁄16	1:45.00
1991	Big Courage	3	Tammy Fox			​1 ^1⁄16	1:46.70
1990	Genuine Meaning	3	J. Hirdes			1 mi, 40 yds	1:40.80
1989 #	Nooo Problema	3	Shane Romero			1 mi, 40 yds	1:42.80
1989 #	Dispersal	3	B. Walker			1 mi, 40 yds	1:42.20
1988	Risen Star	3	Shane Romero	Louie Roussel III	Louie Roussel III	1 mi, 40 yds	1:40.00

A # designates that the race was run in two divisions

The 2006 race was held at Louisiana Downs.

Earlier winners

• 1987 - Authentic Hero
• 1986 - Dr Bee Jay
• 1985 - Mischiefinmind
• 1984 - Taylors Special
• 1983 - Explosive Wagon
• 1982 - Linkage
• 1981 - Senate Chairman
• 1980 - Withholding
• 1979 - Incredible Ease
• 1978 - Battonier
• 1977 - Run Dusty Run
• 1975 - Master Derby
• 1974 - Heavy Mayonnaise
• 1973 - Navajo

References

1. "Stakes profile". www.equibase.com. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
2. Two Fewer Graded Stakes for 2010
3. "Post Time: Split division Risen Star kicks off Derby Championship Series". The Buffalo News. 14 February 2020. Retrieved 19 May 2020.

External links

• Ten Things You Should Know About the Risen Star Stakes at Hello Race Fans!