Kentucky Derby trail: Risen Star is set to feature a stacked field

The Grade 2, $400,000 Risen Star, scheduled for Feb. 19, stands as the first of the 50-20-10-5 points races for the 2022 Kentucky Derby. As such, it looks to be a tough race, featuring several of the top points earners so far.

According to probables released by Fair Grounds on Monday, co-points leader Pappacap will make his return to the races. Running for trainer Mark Casse, the Gun Runner colt finished third in his most recent race, the Lecomte (G2) on Jan. 22 at Fair Grounds.

Pappacap finished second in both the American Pharoah (G1) at Santa Anita and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar last year, helping him earn 14 Derby points so far. He won the Best Pal (G2) at Del Mar in August.

The colt is joined at the top of the points standings by Epicenter, trained by Steve Asmussen. The Not This Time colt got the better of Pappacap in their only meeting, the Lecomte, where he finished second.

Epicenter won the Gun Runner at Fair Grounds before that. He was beaten in the Lecomte by Call Me Midnight.

That Midnight Lute colt, trained by Keith Desormeaux, earned 10 Derby points with the win, putting him 13th in the standings. Before his 28-1 upset of the Lecomte, Call Me Midnight finished seventh in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) at Churchill Downs in November.

Earlier that month, Call Me Midnight broke his maiden running one mile on the main track under the twin spires.

The winner of the Kentucky Jockey Club was Smile Happy, who will make his return in the Risen Star as well. The Runhappy colt was given 8-1 odds for the third pool of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager, tying him as the individual favorite with Holy Bull (G3) winner White Abarrio.

Smile Happy finished as the top individual choice in both of the prior KDFW pools, closing at 8-1 both times. Trained by Kenny McPeek, the colt has won both of his starts, having graduated at Churchill Downs in October.

Slow Down Andy, winner of the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2), is likely to run for trainer Doug O’Neill in the Risen Star. Before the Los Al win, which earned him 10 Derby points, he finished second in the Golden State Juvenile in November at Del Mar.

Remsen (G2) runner-up Zandon also is likely to run in the Risen Star, after his connections, including trainer Chad Brown, opted to not run him in the Holy Bull at Gulfstream. The Upstart colt would make his 2022 debut in the race, having already earned four Derby points with his second-place effort at Aqueduct in December.

Other probables listed by Fair Grounds included A.P.’s Secret, Tawny Port, Bodock and Trafalgar. But trainer Al Stall Jr. told Horse Racing Nation that a decision has not been made for Trafalgar, who would enter off a fourth-place effort in the Lecomte.

The 1 1/8-mile Risen Star has produced two Kentucky Derby winners in Country House (2019), who finished second in the race, and War Emblem (2002), who ran sixth. Mandaloun, who crossed the wire second in the 2021 Derby, won last year’s Risen Star. 

The race will be drawn on Saturday.