Risen Star

To nobody’s surprise, trainer Brad Cox scored another Kentucky Derby prep victory in the Risen Star (G2). What was a surprise was which of his horses crossed the finish line first.

The market suggested Cox’s best chances were the 1.8-1 favorite Victory Formation, and the 5.8-1 third-favorite Tapit’s Conquest. But instead it was the Smarty Jones runner-up Angel of Empire, relatively ignored at 13.7-1, that came away with the honors.

Luis Saez settled Angel of Empire midfield on the rail as Determinedly and Harlocap set fast fractions of 23.34, 47.50, and 1:12.21. With the leaders putting up such a strong pace — and with Victory Formation caught wide close to the pace from his wide gate — the race was set up for the closers.

Saez moved Angel of Empire between horses around the final turn, challenged for the lead at the top of the stretch, and outstayed his rivals to win by a length, becoming the fifth individual 2023 Derby prep winner trained by Cox.

Angel of Empire earned 50 points on the Road to the 2023 Kentucky Derby table, taking his overall tally to 54 and all but assuring himself a Derby start.

Southwest (G3) fourth-place finisher Sun Thunder rallied from 12th, finishing second and earning 20 points, taking himself to 24 points overall. Lecomte (G3) runner-up Two Phil’s challenged in the stretch but couldn’t finish off the 1 ¹⁄₈ miles as strongly as his two rivals, taking 15 points and moving to 23 overall.

Earning points for the first time were fourth-placed Tapit’s Conquest (10 points) and fifth-place finisher Single Ruler (five points).

By Alastair Bull

During the 2010s, few Road to the Kentucky Derby prep races produced as many Derby starters as the Risen Star (G2) at Fair Grounds, which cranked out Triple Crown contenders like clockwork throughout the decade.

First run in 1973 as the Louisiana Derby Trial, the early years produced a surprisingly steady trickle of quality winners as Master Derby (1975), Run Dusty Run (1977), and Linkage (1982) all went on to win or place in the spring classics. But it was the equine Risen Star who really put the race on the map, winning in 1988 before going on to claim victories in the Preakness (G1) and Belmont Stakes (G1).

Shortly afterward the race was renamed in Risen Star’s honor, and its subsequent ascent has been impressive. Assigned Grade 3 status in 2002, the Risen Star seemingly celebrated by producing War Emblem, who parlayed a sixth-place effort at Fair Grounds into a front-running win in the 2002 Kentucky Derby. Champion Lawyer Ron landed the 2006 Risen Star, and Grade 1 winner Pyro secured top honors in 2008.

The Risen Star achieved Grade 2 status in 2010, and a few years later the purse reached $400,000, a twentyfold increase from the $20,000 prize awarded when the equine Risen Star was racing. The quality of competition likewise increased, and between 2010 and 2019, 28 horses used the Risen Star as a steppingstone to the Kentucky Derby. A small sampling includes 2019 Derby winner Country House, 2019 Preakness (G1) winner War of Will, 2013 Preakness champion Oxbow, 2013 Belmont Stakes (G1) winner Palace Malice, and 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner.

Part of the Risen Star’s success can be attributed to its mid-February date. The race kicks off the Kentucky Derby Championship Series and awards 85 Kentucky Derby qualification points to the top five finishers on a 50-20-15-10-5 basis, virtually guaranteeing the winner a spot in the Derby starting gate.

And it’s safe to say the Risen Star is still growing. In 2020, the distance was lengthened to 1 ¹⁄₈ miles, a change so popular the race attracted 23 entries and was run in two divisions.

By J. Keeler Johnson

Mucciolo: Expert Pick of the Week: 2023 Risen Star Stakes

Johnson: Study Guide Risen Star

Rogers and Kerstein: Inside the Kentucky Derby Podcast: Risen Star Preview

Reilly: Victory Formation draws post 13 in Risen Star