Horse Racing Roundup : Risen Star Rallies to Beat Forty Niner by Head

Risen Star, a son of 1973 Triple Crown champion Secretariat, made a late but brilliant debut as a serious Kentucky Derby contender Saturday, defeating early Derby favorite Forty Niner in Keeneland’s $105,600 Lexington Stakes at Lexington, Ky.

With Jacinto Vasquez up, Risen Star charged from last in the field of five around the final turn to force Forty Niner into a stretch duel that the upstart Risen Star won by a head. Both horses will move on to Louisville for the May 7 Derby.

Stalwars was third, 12 lengths back, and Firery Ensign was fifth. The winner ran the 1 1/16 miles in 1:42 4/5 and paid $8.40 to win.

The Lexington gave Forty Niner two victories and three seconds in five starts this year and marked the second time the 1987 juvenile champion was unable to hold the lead in a two-turn race. Forty Niner also lost a photo finish to Brian’s Time in the March 5 Florida Derby.

The defeats have raised questions whether the Mr. Prospector colt will be able to go the Derby’s mile-and-a-quarter distance.

The colt did, however, dig in and try to hold his ground against both Brian’s Time and Risen Star, and, for that reason, trainer Woody Stephens insists that Forty Niner, who was ridden by Pat Day, will race respectably in the Derby.

“My horse couldn’t be doing better in the stretch,” Stephens said. “You can’t let one race knock you out. You’ve got to try again. I think his next start will be the Kentucky Derby.”

Trainer Louie Rousell III said he also planned to take Risen Star, who won the March 13 Louisiana Derby last time out, directly to the Derby.

“My horse wants to go a mile and a quarter,” he said. “I’m sure the distance will suit him very well.”

Lost Code, the $30,000 speedster who came out of the now-defunct Birmingham track to race with Alysheba and Bet Twice last year, continued his Cinderella story with a 1 3/4-length victory over late-closing Cryptoclearance in the $500,000 Oaklawn Handicap at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark. It was Lost Code’s third straight wire-to-wire win since he came back from knee surgery and a five-month layoff March 5.

Craig Perret rode the winner, who was timed in 1:47 for the 1 1/8 miles and paid $3.80 to win. Angel Cordero was aboard Cryptoclearance.

Tsarbaby’s 3 1/2-length victory over 50-1 Forever Silver in the $150,000 Garden State Stakes at Garden State Park in Cherry Hill, N.J., was his second straight wire-to-wire romp in Kentucky Derby prep races. Owner Peter Brant, however, chose not to nominate his Florida-bred horse, who also won Garden State’s Cherry Hill Mile by 6 1/2 lengths April 2, for the Triple Crown races. Tsarbaby, trained by Wayne Lukas, was ridden by Herb McCauley and ran the 1 1/8 miles in 1:52 2/5, paying $7.60 to win.

Forever Silver and third-place Evening Kris also are not Triple Crown-eligible.

In New York, Julie Krone, the nation’s all-time leading female jockey, rode Aptostar to a neck victory in the $117,800 Bed o’ Roses Handicap at Aqueduct after a stretch duel with the Lukas-trained Clabber Girl. Odds-on favorite Cadillacing finished fourth behind Psyched in the Grade III stakes for fillies and mares.

Aptostar, carrying 103 pounds, ran the mile in 1:35 2/5 and paid $16.20 to win.

At Miami, Earlie Fires rode Singular Bequest into the lead midway through the stretch to win the $200,000 La Prevoyante Invitational for fillies and mares by a length and in track-record time of 2:25 1/5 at Calder Race Course. It was the mare’s 10th turf victory in 16 career starts. She paid $4 to win.

Perris Valley, a 7-year-old ridden by Brendan Sheridan and trained by Dermot Weld, won the Irish Grand National steeplechase at Fairyhouse, Ireland.

Perris Valley, a 12-1 shot, moved ahead of Captain Batnac in the closing strides to win by three-quarters of a length.