Saturday's Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds in New Orleans, La., marks the first 85-point qualifying race for this year's G1 Kentucky Derby, with 50 points to the winner, 20 for second, 10 for third and five for fourth.
The same points formula is in place for the G2 Rachel Alexandra Stakes, a qualifying race at Fair Grounds on the road to the Kentucky Oaks. Those two races, along with two other graded stakes, highlight a big 13-race card at Fair Grounds.
Laurel Park in Maryland also has a major stakes day, the Winter Sprintfest, that includes two graded races, the G3 Barbara Fritchie Stakes for fillies and mares and the G3 General George for sprinters 4-year-olds and up. Both races are run at seven furlongs. Several other non-graded stakes are also on tap at Laurel.
Saturday
3:55 p.m. (all times Eastern) – Barbara Fritchie Stakes at Laurel Park
Charlton Baker sends Glass Ceiling from New York in search of a first graded stakes victory for the Constitution mare, who was claimed last May for $40,000. She's razor sharp, coming into the race off two consecutive wins and three of her last four. Regular rider Dylan Davis will be aboard.
Michael Trombetta saddles Jakarta, a 7-year-old veteran mare who has spent most of the last couple of years racing on turf while in the care of trainer Mike Maker. Last out she faded late after leading the way into the stretch of the G2 Inside Information at Gulfstream Park.
4: 27 p.m. – General George Stakes at Laurel Park
Cordmaker is a win machine for trainer Rodney Jenkins but has yet to pose for pictures following a graded stakes. As the 7-5 favorite in his 36th career start, that blank line might be filled in Saturday afternoon in the General George. The Curlin gelding is 10 for 26 over the Laurel surface and has his steady companion, Victor Carrasco, in the irons. Of his six rivals, Sir Alfred James could pose the stiffest challenge to Cordmaker, though he is coming off two poor performances on turf and synthetic at Fair Grounds and Turfway Park, respectively.
5:25 p.m. – Mineshaft Stakes at Fair Grounds
Interesting lineup that matches established veteran stakes performances like Silver Prospector, Title Ready and West Coast invader Midcourt against lightly raced 4-year-olds Olympiad, Miles D and Untreated from the respective barns of Bill Mott, Chad Brown and Todd Pletcher. Olympiad is the 3-1 morning line favorite under Junior Alvarado.
5:56 p.m. – Fair Grounds Stakes at Fair Grounds
Largent, a close second to Todd Pletcher stablemate Colonel Liam in the 2021 G1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational, likely needed his last start when fourth in the G3 Tropical Turf, his first start since Pegasus. The son of Into Mischief has been first or second in 10 of 11 starts, his only off-the-board performance coming last out. Two Emmys, with two wins and three seconds from seven starts over the Fair Grounds turf course, is coming off a huge 5-year-old season that saw the English Channel gelding upset the G1 Mr. D Stakes (formerly Arlington Million) at 27-1 odds. He's tough to overhaul if given an easy lead.
6:27 p.m. – Rachel Alexandra Stakes at Fair Grounds
Seven of the 11 3-year-old fillies entered carry a morning line of 8-1 or lower, suggesting this is a very evenly matched field. It's also deep in talent. La Crete (Steve Asmussen) and North County (Brendan Walsh) are unbeaten stakes winners, while Dream Lith, California and Hidden Connection each have each won a graded stakes. California shippers Miss Mattie B and Awake at Midnyte make this race even that much tougher to handicap.
6:58 p.m. – Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds
Mark Casse-trained Pappacap has the most graded stakes experience in the field of 10, with a win in Del Mar's G2 Best Pal and good, non-winning efforts in four other graded stakes. He comes off a third-place finish to Call Me Midnight in the Lecomte at Fair Grounds, beaten less than a length. Smile Happy is perfect in two starts last year but the Runhappy colt hasn't raced since winning the G2 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes in late November. He was flattered when KJC runner-up Classic Causeway came back to win last week's G3 Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs. But Slow Down Andy was really flattered when Messier, the horse he beat in the G2 Los Alamitos Futurity, came back to win the G3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita by 15 lengths.
Sunday
12:25 a.m. – Hyacinth Stakes at Tokyo Racecourse
Not much is known about this field of Japanese runners and whether any of them would go on to the Kentucky Derby if they win this Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifying race. The link below is an analysis from the Churchill Downs website.
7:39 p.m. – San Simeon Stakes at Santa Anita
Some tough, hard-trying turf sprinters line up for the merry chase down the Santa Anita hillside grass course. Barraza has won three in a row for trainer Vladimir Cerin and loves the course. Beer Can Man is tough as nails with six wins and two seconds from 11 career starts. Bombard is a 9-year-old from the Richard Mandella barn who has also run very well down the hill at Santa Anita.
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