Badge Of Silver Shines In Risen Star Romp
By: John Gaver III

(Feb. 16, 2003) - Badge Of Silver's emphatic 10-length win in the Feb. 16 Risen Star Stakes (GIII) at Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, La. not only served as the venue for the Silver Deputy colt to emerge as the latest hot commodity on the Visa Triple Crown trail, but also erased the disappointment felt by owner Ken Ramsey, who only 24 hours earlier had seen his highly-regarded 3-year-old colt Ten Cents A Shine finish up the track at Gulfstream Park, a well-beaten favorite in the Grade I Fountain of Youth Stakes.

Additionally, Badge Of Silver gave his trainer, Ronny Werner, another crack at this year's Kentucky Derby and Visa Triple Crown, as the Texas native lost the promising sophomore colt Most Feared to a stress fracture in his right front leg in late January, but now has a brilliantly fast, lightly-raced colt who proved with his stylish Risen Star win that he can carry his speed around two turns. Badge Of Silver's upside is obviously limitless.

"We are elated, Ramsey said. "I have to give the credit to Ronny Werner. This horse has all the potential in the world. Hopefully, this turns out to be a (Kentucky) Derby horse. His performance today was awesome. What else can you say? Ronny and his team just did a terrific job."

Badge of Silver, who was making just his third career start in the Risen Star, broke his maiden going 4 ½-furlongs by nine widening lengths at Keeneland last spring under a hand ride, but was then sidelined with a cannon bone injury. Werner and his crew were patient with the colt, giving him plenty of time to heal. When he came back to the races off a nine-month layoff on Jan. 23 against entry-level allowance company, he impressed again, crushing four other overmatched rivals by seven lengths. That day he ran six furlongs in 1:09 3/5, a razor-sharp time over a notoriously deep and tiring surface at Fair Grounds.

Badge Of Silver had a wide post draw in the Risen Star but broke running under jockey Robby Albarado, who had to call upon all his strength to harness his headstrong mount's speed as they stalked pacesetting Saintly Look through a quarter-mile run in :23.71 and a half in :47.42.

At the three-eighths pole, Albarado could wait no longer and gave Badge Of Silver his head. The colt promptly collared a tiring Saintly Look and was quickly three-lengths in front at the quarter-pole. He strode away from the field effortlessly through the stretch while being ridden out, covering the final sixteenth of a mile in :06 and change, impressive considering the colt was keen to run throughout the race, never really relaxing, in his two-turn debut.

"He was crying to run the whole race," Albarado said.

Badge Of Silver covered the mile and a sixteenth distance of the Risen Star over a "fast" track in a quick 1:42.99, .01 seconds off Zarb's Magic stakes record time in 1996.

Second-place finisher Lone Star Sky and Defrere's Vixen, who was another three-parts of a length back in third, were the only horses finishing with interest in the stretch drive, but neither was any match for the winner.

Prince Alphie, Saintly Look, Leo's Last Hurrahy, Indy Dancer, Canaan Land, Seattle Hoofer, Crowned King, Gentlemen J J and Deep Shadow completed the official order of finish.

"He broke so good today I just got him to settle," Albarado, who picked up his first Risen Star win, said. "He just relaxed for me and I felt I had a lot of horse from start to finish. You have to think since he finished so strong that he should get a little added distance."

With the win, Badge Of Silver improved his lifetime record to a perfect three-for-three. The $90,000 winner's share of the Risen Star purse elevated his career earnings to $139,225. He has won all three of his starts by a combined total of 26 lengths and returned $7.80, $5.40 and $4.80 to his backers.

Werner indicated that if Badge Of Silver comes out of the Risen Star in good shape, he would be pointed for the $750,000 Louisiana Derby (GII), which will be run at a mile and a sixteenth trip at Fair Grounds on Mar. 9.

"He is the kind of horse you wake up in the morning to train," Werner said. "He really relaxed today and got the perfect trip. Let's hope he comes out of it okay and we'll take the next step (Louisiana Derby) with him."

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