Mandaloun wins Risen Star, takes step toward Kentucky Derby
Once again, Mandaloun, Midnight Bourbon and Proxy took the top three spots in a Kentucky Derby prep at Fair Grounds. But this time, it was Mandaloun who came out on top and effectively sewed up a spot in the Derby starting gates.
Mandaloun, third behind Midnight Bourbon and Proxy on Jan. 16 in the Lecomte (G3), prevailed Saturday in the Grade 2, $400,000 Risen Star Stakes. Proxy was 1 1/4 lengths back in second while Midnight Bourbon ran third.
The Risen Star is the first 2021 Kentucky Derby prep to award points toward the first Saturday in May on a 50-20-10-5 basis. Fifty points has been enough to make the Derby field each year of the points era, which began in 2013, so the Risen Star is a de-facto win-and-you’re-in prep race.
If Mandaloun makes it to the Churchill Downs starting gates, he will look to earn trainer and Louisville native Brad Cox his first Kentucky Derby triumph.
Mandaloun covered 1 1/8 miles at Fair Grounds in 1:50.39, returning $6.20 as the 2-1 favorite under jockey Florent Geroux.
"I think the blinkers did help out," Cox said of an equipment change he made Saturday on Mandaloun. "Florent immediately made a comment after the race. Much more focused in the post parade, more focused on his job.
"We didn't put a bunch of cup on him, just like a one-inch cup, but it seems to have done the trick to get him mentally over the top, mentally getting him where he needs to be."
Fair Grounds allowance winner Rightandjust, a 31-1 long shot, led the Risen Star field through fractions of 23.65 and 48.45. Midnight Bourbon, who took the Lecomte gate to wire, stalked the pace and took the lead at the top of the stretch.
Mandaloun and Proxy got involved in the fight, and the Juddmonte Farms homebred powered on to a victory. The 3-year-old Into Mischief colt improved to 4: 3-0-1 in his career with more than $350,000 in earnings.
"Today we had the same kind of trip we had in the Lecomte, but when I pushed on the gas today, he responded right away," Geroux said.
Next up for Mandaloun is most likely the $1 million Louisiana Derby (G2) over the same Fair Grounds track March 20, Cox said. That event goes 1 3/16 miles and awards its winner 100 Kentucky Derby points.
"He's got the physical make-up of a mile-and-a-quarter horse so we're optimistic he'll get better with more ground," Cox said.
With 52 points, Mandaloun now sits atop the 2021 Kentucky Derby points standings. Stablemate Essential Quality, who will race next Saturday at Oaklawn Park in the $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3), is second with 30 points, followed by Midnight Bourbon (26), Proxy (24) and Keepmeinmind (18).
Trainer Michael Stidham said blinkers may also be in order for Proxy, a 3-year-old Tapit colt. Under jockey John Velazquez, he bumped a rival out of the break and took a wide trip but still had enough left to pass Midnight Bourbon in the final yards.
"We’ll experiment with the blinkers in the morning and if we feel like it’s an added improvement, we’ll try," Stidham said. "The Louisiana Derby would be the obvious next spot if he’s healthy and ready to go. I asked Johnny and he thought the added distance was going to continue to help him, rather than hurt him, and that’s huge at this stage."
As for Midnight Bourbon, both trainer Steve Asmussen and jockey Joe Talamo noted the Tiznow colt faced more pace pressure Saturday in the Risen Star as compared to the Lecomte.
"I still believe the further the better with him," Talamo said. "You’re never going to get everything your own way but the other horse (Rightandjust) was going pretty hard, and that didn’t help us. I would have liked to have sat a little off, but that first eighth (of a mile) didn’t help but I was proud of him.”
Finishing fourth through 11th in the Risen Star were, in order, O Besos, Senor Buscador, Rightandjust, Santa Cruiser, Sermononthemount, Starrininmydreams, Carillo and Beep Beep.