Saturday’s $500,000 Fasig-Tipton Risen Star Stakes at Honest Grounds marks an vital shift on the highway to the 2025 Kentucky Derby Introduced by Woodford Reserve. The 1 1/8-mile, Grade 2 stakes race is the primary designated as a part of the Kentucky Derby Championship Collection, and it provides a lift in qualifying factors to the 151st Derby on Might 3 to the highest 5 finishers (50-25-15-10-5).
This race has change into probably the most productive Derby preps lately. Final 12 months’s winner, Sierra Leone, misplaced the Kentucky Derby by a nostril and within the fall received the Longines Breeders’ Cup Basic going through older horses, and he obtained the Eclipse Award as champion 3-year-old male of 2024.
This 12 months’s Risen Star drew a aggressive 13-horse area with a few marquee headliners making their first begins of 2025 in East Avenue and Jonathan’s Method. The race will probably be televised reside on FanDuel TV and has a scheduled put up time of seven:30 p.m. ET. Learn on for details about every contender and insights into betting the race.
1. American Promise
Jockey: Keith Asmussen
Coach: D. Wayne Lukas
Proprietor: BC Stables
Profession document: 7 begins – 1 win – 1 second – 1 third
Profession earnings: $134,874
Prime Equibase Velocity Determine: 102
Kentucky Derby qualifying factors: 0
Pedigree: Justify – Tapella, by Tapit
Shade: Chestnut
Operating fashion: Pacesetter/press the tempo
Evaluation: This well-bred son of 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify was a reside longshot in his stakes debut Jan. 25, despatched off at 21.90-1 odds within the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park. He was anticipated to be a part of the early tempo in that 1 1/16-mile Kentucky Derby prep however began slowly after which was rushed as much as problem chief and eventual winner Velocity King. American Promise light to complete sixth of 9 within the Southwest, and can attempt one other Derby prep Saturday. He had received a 1 1/16-mile maiden race at Oaklawn previous to the Southwest by main from begin to end, so anticipate first-time jockey Keith Asmussen to try an identical journey if American Promise will get out of the gate higher. He’s a longshot to win however might present some early strain to projected race favourite East Avenue, who’s returning after a 3 ½-month break.
2. Jonathan’s Method
Jockey: Jose Ortiz
Coach: Phil Bauer
Proprietor: Rigney Racing
Profession document: 4 begins – 2 wins – 1 second – 0 thirds
Profession earnings: $268,530
Prime Equibase Velocity Determine: 100
Kentucky Derby qualifying factors: 15
Pedigree: Vekoma – Feminine Drama, by Indian Charlie
Shade: Darkish bay or brown
Operating fashion: Stalker
Evaluation: All techniques look like set on “go” for Jonathan’s Method as he makes his 3-year-old debut Saturday. He was one of many prime 2-year-olds in coaching final fall, successful the very first qualifying factors race on the Kentucky Derby sequence, the one-mile Iroquois Stakes in September, by a dominant 2 ¾ lengths. After a seventh-place end within the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Introduced by TAA, Jonathan’s Method got here again to complete second within the 1 1/16-mile Kentucky Jockey Membership Stakes in November at Churchill Downs. He was bumped twice early in that race however recovered to complete robust, and he’s been coaching very effectively at Honest Grounds for Phil Bauer main as much as Saturday’s race. With a top-three end within the Risen Star, Jonathan’s Method might solidify his place on the Derby path and in addition proceed to supply robust returns for his sire, Vekoma. Ohio-bred Jonathan’s Method was the main earner for Vekoma final 12 months, and helped Vekoma lead all first-crop stallions in progeny earnings for 2024.
3. Vassimo
Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.
Coach: Todd Pletcher
Proprietor: Crew Penney Racing
Profession document: 2 begins – 2 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds
Profession earnings: $43,500
Prime Equibase Velocity Determine: 83
Kentucky Derby qualifying factors: 0
Pedigree: Nyquist – Bsharpsonata, by Pulpit
Shade: Bay
Operating fashion: Stalker
Evaluation: Vassimo is an intriguing contender within the Risen Star who comes into his stakes debut an ideal 2-for-2 for Corridor of Fame coach Todd Pletcher. He received his first begin in driving vogue, taking a one-turn, one-mile maiden race at Gulfstream Park by one size. Vassimo then stretched out to 2 turns in a one-mile and 40-yard allowance race at Tampa Bay Downs in mid-January and drew clear to attain by 2 ¾ lengths. This bay colt has an excellent pedigree for dealing with two turns as a son of Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist and out of a dam (mom) in Bsharpsonata who received six stakes races and earned $595,010. One other plus: jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., who rode Vassimo in each of his prior races, travels from Florida to trip him at Honest Grounds Saturday. If East Avenue and Jonathan’s Method aren’t prepared to indicate their greatest coming back from layoffs, Vassimo has a stable probability to put up the Risen Star upset.
4. East Avenue
Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione
Coach: Brendan Walsh
Proprietor: Godolphin
Profession document: 3 begins – 2 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds
Profession earnings: $410,645
Prime Equibase Velocity Determine: 99
Kentucky Derby qualifying factors: 10
Pedigree: Medaglia d’Oro – Dance Music, by Ghostzapper
Shade: Bay
Operating fashion: Pacesetter
Evaluation: Despite the fact that there are a number of different extremely regarded contenders entered on this 12 months’s Risen Star Stakes, East Avenue is the marquee attraction as he returns to the observe after a 3 ½-month break. This Godolphin homebred, who’s a detailed relation to 2023 Horse of the 12 months Cody’s Want, dominated his opposition in his first two begins as a 2-year-old final summer time and fall, together with a 5 ¼-length tour de power within the 1 1/16-mile Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland in October. Based mostly on these victories, he was despatched off because the 9-5 post-time favourite in a really aggressive version of the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Introduced by TAA Nov. 1 at Del Mar, and East Avenue misplaced all probability at successful when he stumbled badly out of the beginning gate. That prohibited him from utilizing his largest weapon – early pace – and he was by no means a risk in ending ninth. Now, after loads of time to relaxation and develop, he’s again on the Kentucky Derby path and coach Brendan Walsh mentioned he’s assured that his cost will re-establish himself among the many prime echelon of Triple Crown contenders. Search for jockey Tyler Gaffalione, who was aboard East Avenue in all three of his races final 12 months, to ship his mount straight to the early lead Saturday in an try to win the Risen Star in gate-to-wire vogue.
New to racing? Allow us to clarify…
Profitable “gate-to-wire” means a horse took command of the race as quickly because the beginning gate opened, managed the tempo all through the race’s distance, and reached the end line (or “wire”) forward of the sphere.
5. Chunk of Gold
Jockey: Abel Cedillo
Coach: Ethan West
Proprietor: Terry Stephens
Profession document: 2 begins – 1 win – 1 second – 0 thirds
Profession earnings: $48,818
Prime Equibase Velocity Determine: 91
Kentucky Derby qualifying factors: 0
Pedigree: Preservationist – Play for Gold, by Cairo Prince
Shade: Grey or roan
Operating fashion: Nearer
Evaluation: This colt ships in from Turfway Park in northern Kentucky after two good efforts there and faces a troublesome project within the Risen Star. He received his debut at Turfway by a neck in a six-furlong dash, after which completed a rallying second when stretched out to 2 turns within the one-mile Leonatus Stakes in mid-January. Each of these races got here on Turfway Park’s all-weather floor, and Chunk of Gold will race on dust for the primary time Saturday. On the optimistic aspect, his pace figures are aggressive with a lot of the different horses within the Risen Star, and his pedigree means that racing 1 1/8 miles shouldn’t be tough. He’s a wild card on this race with connections who don’t compete at Honest Grounds, and since he’ll in all probability be neglected within the betting swimming pools, he’s a very good horse to make use of in trifecta and/or superfecta bets to assist enhance the payouts.
6. Seattle Street
Jockey: Marcelino Pedroza Jr.
Coach: Tom Amoss
Proprietor: Greenwell Thoroughbreds
Profession document: 5 begins – 1 win – 1 second – 0 thirds
Profession earnings: $50,778
Prime Equibase Velocity Determine: 82
Kentucky Derby qualifying factors: 0
Pedigree: High quality Street – Seattle Slang, by Tapit
Shade: Bay
Operating fashion: Nearer
Evaluation: Seattle Street is again for a second attempt in a Kentucky Derby factors race after ending seventh of 13 within the Lecomte Stakes Jan. 18 on this observe. He was a 79.70-1 longshot in that 1 1/16-mile race, and raced close to the again of the sphere for a lot of the race earlier than rallying within the stretch to finish up lower than 4 lengths behind winner Disco Time and runner-up Constructed. The Lecomte was held on a sloppy observe and the ultimate time for that race was gradual, but Seattle Street nonetheless made up some late floor. Previous to the Lecomte, he received a 1 1/16-mile maiden race at Honest Grounds by a head, closing strongly from off of the tempo. It’s robust to see this colt posting the upset in a troublesome renewal of the Risen Star, but when the early tempo is quick sufficient, he might choose off some drained runners within the stretch and fill out the superfecta, or much less doubtless, the trifecta at enormous odds for New Orleans native Tom Amoss.
7. Septarian
Jockey: Flavien Prat
Coach: Chad Brown
Proprietor: Resolute Bloodstock
Profession document: 3 begins – 2 wins – 0 seconds – 1 third
Profession earnings: $59,916
Prime Equibase Velocity Determine: 82
Kentucky Derby qualifying factors: 0
Pedigree: Protonico – Amadeus Melody, by Amadeus Wolf
Shade: Bay
Operating fashion: Stalker
Evaluation: Regardless of having a pair of latest Eclipse Award-winning connections in his nook (coach Chad Brown, jockey Flavien Prat), Septarian initiatives to be a longshot within the Risen Star Stakes. The gelding received each of his races at age 2 final fall in sprints for various connections earlier than being bought privately by Resolute Bloodstock and transferred to Brown. He completed third in his first race for his new proprietor and coach, working behind Weapons Loaded and Treaty of Rome within the one-turn, one-mile Mucho Macho Man Stakes Jan. 4 at Gulfstream Park. Septarian earned a low pace determine in that race, and each Weapons Loaded and Treaty of Rome upset of their subsequent begins coming in Kentucky Derby prep races, with Weapons Loaded ending final of seven within the Holy Bull Stakes and Treaty of Rome checking in ninth of 10 within the Sam F. Davis Stakes. Septarian may be higher suited to racing round two turns, which he’ll attempt for the primary time Saturday, and he’ll even be fitted with blinkers to assist him focus. Nonetheless, based mostly on what he’s proven up to now, he’d have to enhance by leaps and bounds to have a say within the Risen Star final result.
New to racing? Allow us to clarify…
Blinkers are cups which might be positioned on the surface of every eye on a horse previous to a race. They are often minimize to completely different lengths and are used to limit the horse’s visual field, which ideally will allow him/her to carry out higher by improved concentrate on what’s in entrance of him quite than what’s behind.
8. Giocoso
Jockey: Jaime Torres
Coach: Keith Desormeaux
Proprietor: Rocker O Ranch
Profession document: 6 begins – 2 wins – 1 second – 1 third
Profession earnings: $164,381
Prime Equibase Velocity Determine: 98
Kentucky Derby qualifying factors: 3
Pedigree: Not This Time – Nutcracker Suite, by Fastnet Rock
Shade: Darkish bay or brown
Operating fashion: Nearer
Evaluation: Since there’s 13 horses entered within the Risen Star Stakes, it’s a very good guess that a number of will fly below the radar within the parimutuel swimming pools and carry excessive odds when the beginning gate opens. Giocoso shapes up as an interesting longshot play on this race although he will probably be making his first begin in additional than three months and switching from turf to dust. The son of excellent younger sire Not This Time made 4 of his six begins at age 2 on turf, together with each of his victories, however he additionally completed third on dust within the one-turn, one-mile Iroquois Stakes again in September that was received by Jonathan’s Method. Giocoso completed up his juvenile marketing campaign with a rallying three-quarter-length win in a 1 1/16-mile turf race again in November at Churchill Downs, and he has been coaching steadily over the previous few weeks on dust at Honest Grounds for locally-based Keith Desormeaux, who received the 2013 Risen Star with a 135.20-1 longshot. Giocoso received’t go off at wherever close to these odds in Saturday’s race, however he’s positively price an extended look as a contender who might boost the exacta and trifecta payouts if he handles the transfer again to a mud observe.
9. Constructed
Jockey: Luis Saez
Coach: Wayne Catalano
Proprietor: Eclipse Thoroughbred Companions
Profession document: 4 begins – 2 wins – 1 second – 1 third
Profession earnings: $174,204
Prime Equibase Velocity Determine: 95
Kentucky Derby qualifying factors: 20
Pedigree: Onerous Spun – Sea Backyard, by Curlin
Shade: Bay
Operating fashion: Press the tempo
Evaluation: Constructed joins East Avenue and Jonathan’s Method as a number one win candidate within the Risen Star Stakes, and he has two clear benefits over that pair: he’s match and in good type, having raced as soon as in December and as soon as in January, and he’s had success on Honest Grounds’ dust observe. Since transport to Louisiana late final 12 months, Constructed received the 1 1/16-mile Gun Runner Stakes main from begin to end on Dec. 21, after which got here from off the tempo to simply miss successful the Lecomte Stakes on the similar observe and distance on Jan. 18, ending a neck behind fellow nearer Disco Time. Coach Wayne Catalano informed Every day Racing Kind that he and proprietor Aron Wellman of Eclipse Thoroughbred Companions determined that Constructed was coaching so effectively they’d run him again within the Risen Star, and he’ll get the companies of jockey Luis Saez for the primary time on Saturday. Search for Saez, a wonderful tempo rider, to place Constructed close to the early leaders, together with possible favourite East Avenue. He has a very good pedigree for racing a mile and an eighth and will probably be robust to defeat on this race if he’s certainly on the prime of his recreation as his coach suggests.
10. Render Judgment
Jockey: Brian Hernandez Jr.
Coach: Ken McPeek
Homeowners: Baccari Racing Secure, Dream Walkin Farms, MJM Racing, and Rocket Ship Racing
Profession document: 4 begins – 1 win – 1 second – 1 third
Profession earnings: $109,110
Prime Equibase Velocity Determine: 86
Kentucky Derby qualifying factors: 4
Pedigree: Blame – Barbara Gordon, by Commissioner
Shade: Bay
Operating fashion: Nearer/stalker
Evaluation: This come-from-behind runner has matched up in opposition to a number of Risen Star opponents in earlier races and hasn’t been embarrassed, but he’s not precisely been aggressive both. In his two prior stakes races, he completed fifth of 9 within the Kentucky Jockey Membership Stakes at Churchill Downs (Jonathan’s Method was second) final fall and third by 9 ½ lengths within the Gun Runner Stakes Dec. 21 at Honest Grounds (received by Constructed with Magnitude second). Each of these races had been held at 1 1/16 miles, and Render Judgment’s solely win got here final fall on the similar distance when he defeated American Promise by a half-length. He’s suited to racing 1 1/8 miles and must be rallying within the stretch on Saturday, however he doesn’t seem to have sufficient late pace to go sufficient horses and put up the upset for coach Ken McPeek and jockey Brian Hernandez Jr., who teamed up final 12 months to win the Kentucky Derby.
11. Jolly Samurai
Jockey: Rene Diaz
Coach: Danny Pish
Proprietor: Jake Brown
Profession document: 5 begins – 3 wins – 0 seconds – 0 thirds
Profession earnings: $121,696
Prime Equibase Velocity Determine: 83
Kentucky Derby qualifying factors: 1
Pedigree: First Samurai – Jolly Good, by Paddy O’Prado
Shade: Chestnut
Operating fashion: Nearer
Evaluation: After making his first 4 profession begins at Remington Park in Oklahoma, this gelding shipped to Honest Grounds for a significant class take a look at within the 1 1/16-mile Lecomte Stakes on Jan. 18 and was no risk, ending ninth of 13. All three of his victories got here at dash distances at Remington, and in his race previous to the Lecomte, he completed a well-defeated fifth within the Remington Springboard Mile Stakes, a Kentucky Derby factors prep held round two turns. Based mostly on this manner, it’s tough to see how Jolly Samurai is usually a issue within the Risen Star as he’s a come-from-behind runner who seems to desire dash distances and will probably be going through off in opposition to fairly a number of horses which have confirmed to be quicker than he’s.
12. Vamos Carlitos
Jockey: Florent Geroux
Coach: Greg Foley
Proprietor: Bryan McCrea
Profession document: 4 begins – 2 wins – 1 second – 0 thirds
Profession earnings: $76,344
Prime Equibase Velocity Determine: 86
Kentucky Derby qualifying factors: 0
Pedigree: Catholic Boy – Gabeira, by Medaglia d’Oro
Shade: Bay
Operating fashion: Nearer
Evaluation: Right here’s one other fascinating longshot candidate within the Risen Star Stakes who’ll be making his stakes debut in opposition to a number of extra achieved opponents however has proven encouraging potential in his latest races. Vamos Carlitos received his debut final September in a race initially scheduled for turf after which completed 11th of 12 in his subsequent begin which was held on grass. He made his third begin again on dust in a one-turn, one-mile claiming race at Churchill Downs in late November and rallied to win by three-quarters of a size, and was certainly claimed by a brand new proprietor and coach from that occasion and despatched to Honest Grounds. In his 3-year-old debut, Vamos Carlitos began in a 1 1/16-mile allowance race on dust Jan. 20 and closed quick to complete three-quarters of a size behind heavy favourite Admiral Dennis. If he can transfer ahead off of that effort, he has an outdoor probability of ending within the prime three at what must be good odds. Jockey Florent Geroux has received three out of the final 10 editions of the Risen Star Stakes.
New to racing? Allow us to clarify…
Claiming races are races the place every horse entered is up on the market at a pre-determined value (in Vamos Carlitos’ case, he was in a $40,000 claiming race, which was the set value for any horse entered). Homeowners fascinated about shopping for a horse in a claiming race notify the racing secretary on the observe earlier than the race is run, and if two extra homeowners stake their declare on a selected horse, their names are placed on capsules which might be then positioned in a cup for the “shake” after which one is drawn out. All gross sales are closing irrespective of how the horse runs within the race, however the unique proprietor is entitled to the horse’s winnings in addition to the proceeds of the sale.
13. Magnitude
Jockey: Ben Curtis
Coach: Steve Asmussen
Proprietor: Winchell Thoroughbreds
Profession document: 6 begins – 2 wins – 1 second – 0 thirds
Profession earnings: $146,165
Prime Equibase Velocity Determine: 89
Kentucky Derby qualifying factors: 5
Pedigree: Not This Time – Rockadelic, by Bernardini
Shade: Bay
Operating fashion: Stalker
Evaluation: Magnitude drew an unfavorable put up place within the Risen Star for his working fashion as he’s completed his greatest when positioned pretty near the early leaders. He might get caught very vast as the sphere goes by the primary flip, and if he does so, he’ll must increase extra vitality than is right to safe a ground-saving place as soon as the sphere straightens out within the backstretch. He’s competed in each of Honest Grounds’ Kentucky Derby preps to this point, ending second by 6 ¾ lengths to Constructed within the Gun Runner Stakes in late December after which sixth by 2 ¾ lengths within the Lecomte Stakes Jan. 18 (each of these races had been held at 1 1/16 miles). Each of Magnitude’s wins got here final 12 months at age 2, one at seven furlongs and the opposite at a mile and a sixteenth, and he was forwardly positioned in each of them. He’s competed effectively sufficient in 5 of his six profession races however seems to be a minimize under the highest contenders within the Risen Star, and that’s earlier than one takes into consideration his difficult put up place.
