NEW ORLEANS - California invader Scipion rallied in the final quarter-mile to capture the Grade III Risen Star Stakes for 3-year-olds, the feature event of Louisiana Derby Preview Day in front of a crowd of 4,695 Saturday at Fair Grounds Race Course.

Scipion, ridden by Gary Stevens and trained by Patrick Biancone, was last for the first half-mile behind front-runners Electric Light and Silent Bid, who took the field through a half-mile in 46.75 seconds and six furlongs in 1:11.61.

When the field turned for home, Scipion was ninth. Stevens found a path widest of all coming down the stretch to overtake Lecomte Stakes winner Storm Surge, who had grabbed the lead in mid-stretch, and longshot Real Dandy in the closing yards to claim the one-length victory in the final prep for the Louisiana Derby on March 12.

"Coming into the stretch, I said, 'No way, maybe I'll hit the board,'" said Stevens. "I reached back and hit him a couple of times and I said, 'Geez, he's going to win by daylight."

Scipion, a son of A.P. Indy who was a $1.9 million yearling purchase by Virginia Kraft-Payson, returned $22.20, $11.20 and $7.40 and completed the mile-and-a-sixteenth in 1:44.54. Real Dandy paid $34.40 and $15.20. Storm Surge paid $5.20 to show.

Scipion's connections were pleased with how the colt handled himself.

"He is a late-comer horse and he did his job," Biancone said. "He is a very good horse. Normally, he's excited (before the race) but today, he was like a professional. It's a horse that we (think can) go a mile-and-a-half, or a mile-and-a-quarter, but you cannot rush him."

Said Stevens, "I've raced him three times and I've been very impressed with what I've seen from him in the mornings. He lost a lot of ground around the turn, had to make up a lot of ground and won with something in reserve. He's a colt with a lot of potential and he handles himself very professionally."

The win by Scipion was his second in five lifetime starts, increasing his earnings to $143,240.

Donnie Meche, who was aboard Real Dandy, thought for a moment he was going to be in the winner's circle.

"When I asked him, he had a lot of run," Meche said. "I thought I was going to win the race, but then I saw the horse flying from the outside."

Harlington, the 6-5 favorite in the field of 11, finished sixth.

All-sources wagering on Saturday's program was $8.45 million, the second-highest total in Fair Grounds history and largest ever for a 10-race card. The record of $9.08 million was set on an 11-race program that included the 2000 Louisiana Derby.

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