International Star Exits Risen Star in Good Order

Photo: Steve Dalmado / Eclipse Sportswire

Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey’s International Star has exited his win in Saturday’s Grade II $400,000 Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots well and will now focus on the Grade II $750,000 Louisiana Derby, according to trainer Mike Maker. The gutsy bay son of Fusaichi Pegasus won the second consecutive graded stakes of the meet after taking the Grade III $200,000 Lecomte Stakes on Jan. 17 – both under jockey Miguel Mena.

CHOCOLATE RIDE PUTTING HIS BEST FEET FORWARD

John Wentworth’s Chocolate Ride came out of his win in Saturday’s Grade III $125,000 Fair Grounds Handicap at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in fine form, according to trainer Brad Cox. A recent Churchill Downs claim from the barn of Mark Casse, the son of red-hot sire Candy Ride cruised to the front under Florent Geroux and ambled through fractions of :49.03 and 1:13.26 before putting his rivals away by mid-stretch and winning the 1 1/8-miles turf event by just under two lengths in near track-record time.

The victory was the 5-year-old gelding’s second in a 14-day span – both at the same course and distance – following a 3½-length first level allowance score on Feb. 7. The Cox stable, which is split between Oaklawn Park and Fair Grounds, is headed locally by assistant trainer Ricky Giannini, who has been integral in the venture to keep Chocolate Ride’s fragile feet sound.

“He came out good,” Cox said. “(Giannini) said everything was good with him this morning. He really gets the credit for holding (Chocolate Ride) together.

 “One of the reasons he was in for a claim was his bad feet,” Cox explained. “He had performed really well on turf and (his former connections) had put him on the dirt (in a claiming race). We decided to drop (a claim for) him. We thought if he can compete on dirt, we’ll keep him at Oaklawn. If he likes the grass, we’ll send him to Fair Grounds. He seems to love the grass and the warmer climate (at Fair Grounds) is much better for the feet.”
Since that $40,000 Nov. 21 claim, the half-brother to Grade I Hollywood Starlet winner Killer Graces has earned $105,400 for Cox with two wins and a second from four starts. His only poor showing was a failed attempt on the dirt on Jan. 17. His race in the Fair Grounds earned him a 99 Beyer Speed Figure and 105 Equibase Speed Figure, with the former only three points below the best in the nation so far in 2015. 
“When I saw him go :24, I said they would have trouble catching him,” Cox said. “Then, on the turn I thought they weren’t going to catch him because this horse is fit – he just ran two weeks ago. Everything set up for us.”

Next up for Chocolate Ride might be Grade II $400,000 Mervin H. Muniz, Jr. Memorial Handicap on Mar. 28, for which the Fair Grounds was the course and distance prep.

“It’s definitely on the radar,” Cox confirmed. “With him it’s all about where his feet are. You really have to watch his feet and you can’t plan too much with him because of them.”

Source: Fair Grounds Barn Notes

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