Racing over the Fair Grounds main track surface for the third time this winter, Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC's Epicenter grabbed the early lead under Joel Rosario and never looked back, winning Saturday's Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes easily by 2 3/4 lengths. Smile Happy, the 2-1 favorite making his first start since taking the G2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes last Nov. 27, finished second, with Zandon a half length back in third and Pioneer of Medina fourth in the field of 10.
The Risen Star is a qualifying points race on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and the first to offer a total of 85 points on a 50-20-10-5 basis to the top four finishers.
Updated Kentucky Derby leaderboard
The order of finish was completed by Tawny Port, Slow Down Andy, Trafalgar, Pappacap, Bodock and Russian Tank.
Bred in Kentucky by Westwind Farm, Epicenter is by Not This Time out of the Candy Ride mare, Silent Candy. He was purchased by Winchell Thoroughbreds for $260,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale from the consignment of Bettersworth Westwind Farms.
Epicenter, trained by Steve Asmussen, was clocked in 1:49.03 for the nine furlongs on a fast track after setting fractions of :23.79, :47.97, 1:12.25 and 1:36.58. He paid $9 to win.
“He did run a really big race today,” said Rosario. “That was really nice. He looked like he was enjoying what he was doing and put in a really nice race today. We'll see going forward how far he can go.”
Owner Ron Winchell said: “A little different than his last race (when second in the G3 Lecomte Stakes) in that every quarter was perfect. He looked nice and comfortable we were just hoping he would finish off the race and he did. He looked great.”
Epicenter was beaten a head by Call me Midnight in the Lecomte after setting early fractions of :23.40, :47.01 and 1:12.16. He led to the final yards of that 1 1/16-mile race. Prior to that, Epicenter won the Gun Runner Stakes at Fair Grounds on Dec. 26 by 6 1/2 lengths.
Corey Lanerie, aboard Smile Happy, said he didn't get the ideal trip in the Risen Star. “About the 3/8ths pole to the 5/16ths I was wanting to get out and start to make my run a little sooner than I was able to. I felt like I was still running the time I got out to the end (finish line), so if I had gotten out when I had wanted to, I would have liked to see the outcome. But he ran fabulous and he has some (Derby) points now.”
Chad Brown, trainer of Zandon, who was runner-up to Mo Donegal in the G2 Remsen at Aqueduct last Dec. 4, said his horse's chances were compromised at the break.
“He leapt at the start so it was disappointing he was so far back,” said Brown. “He lost all chance to win. I'm proud of the horse's effort that he was still able to get a minor piece. The points (10) can help us down the road.”
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