Risen Star Stakes Handicapping Picks
Horse racing gamblers are you looking for 2023 Risen Star Stakes Free Pick & Handicapping Odds…plus some predictions? Need some advice on who to take? The 2023 Risen Star is set for February 18 at Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, Louisiana. Here’s a preview of our top contenders.
Risen Star Stakes Preview
- Race: Risen Star Stakes
- Purse: $400,000
- Track: Fair Grounds Race Course
- Date: February 18
- Post Time: 7:14 PM (ET)
- Live: Risen Star Stakes Odds: Click Here
2023 Risen Star Stakes Handicapping
The first race totalling 100 points in the 2023 Kentucky Derby qualifying series of races goes Saturday with the running of the (G2) Risen Star Stakes.
The Risen Star will award points on a 50-20-15-10-5 basis to the top five finishers. Since 50 points is historically enough to get into the Derby, the winner of the Risen Star may be the first horse this year to qualify for the big race.
A full field of 14 is expected go to the gate, set to race 1 1/8 miles on the Fair Grounds dirt track.
Odds listed here are provided by the Fair Grounds track oddsmaker.
2023 Risen Star Stakes Free Pick & Handicapping: Victory Formation Race Odds: 3-1
Undefeated Victory Formation had an easy time of it in two of his wins and had to battle hard to get the other. He broke his maiden in October at Keeneland by four lengths and then shipped to Churchill where he stalked the pace before digging in and just getting up to win by a neck.
Last out he tried stakes company for the first time and cruised to a three length wire-to-wire win in the Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn. He drew a tough outside post here and may have to work a bit to get position going into the first turn.
He’s one of three in the race for two-time winning trainer Brad Cox. Flavien Prat will ride.
2023 Risen Star Stakes Free Pick & Handicapping: Tapit’s Conquest Race Odds: 6-1
With a win and two runner-up finishes on his resume, Tapit’s Conquest probably ran his best race last out when finishing second by just a neck going 1 1/16 miles at Fair Grounds.
After trailing the field of five early, he was able to get up along the rail and just missed at the wire despite having to close into a fairly slow pace. Prior to that he broke his maiden going the same distance at Churchill, where he raced just off the pace before taking over with a quarter mile to go and winning by three lengths.
He’s another Brad Cox entry, while three-time race winner Florent Geroux gets the mount.
2023 Risen Star Stakes Free Pick & Handicapping: Two Phil’s Race Odds: 8-1
Already a graded-stakes winner, Two Phil’s turned that trick when he won the (G3) Street Sense Stakes two starts back at Churchill Downs.
Last out he ran second behind the very good Instant Coffee in the Lecomte Stakes, the Fair Grounds prep race for the Risen Star. Overall he has won three of six lifetime, and has already put almost a quarter-million dollars in the bank.
Larry Rivelli is the trainer, Jareth Loveberry will be in the irons.
2023 Risen Star Stakes Free Pick & Handicapping: Curly Jack Race Odds: 8-1
Well acquainted with the highest levels of racing already in his young career, Curly Jack has made five of his six lifetime starts in stakes races, including the (G1) Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, where he finished fifth.
Prior to that he was the winner of the (G3) Iroquois Stakes at Churchill and for his career he has two wins and two second-place finishes. He may have to find more speed against this group, as he’s only once recorded a plus-90 Equibase speed figure.
Trainer Tom Amoss won the Risen Star way back in 1994. The jockey is Edgar Morales.
Here’s My 2023 Risen Star Stakes Free Pick.
All of these horses are stretching out to 1 1/8 miles for the first time, and that added distance goes a long way to separating Kentucky Derby contenders from pretenders. And with this large field, getting a decent trip will be key to being in the thick of it when they turn for home.
On paper Victory Formation seems a deserving favourite. But I think there are legitimate distance questions to be answered as he goes beyond a mile for the first time against others that are proven winners at 1 1/16. With that in mind, I’ll take the other Brad Cox runner, Tapit’s Conquest to win.
While he lacks big-race experience, he’s a horse that seems to be making forward strides with every race, and appears to want to go more distance.
Full Field: Risen Star Stakes Odds
By post position
- #1 – Quiet As Midnight 50-1
- #2 – Single Ruler 30-1
- #3 – Shaq Diesel 30-1
- #4 – Determinedly
- #5 – Harlocap 8-1
- #6 – Angel Of Empire 8-1
- #7 – Sun Thunder 15-1
- #8 – Tapit’s Conquest 6-1
- #9 – Curly Jack 8-1
- #10 – Two Phil’s 8-1
- #11 – Silver Heist 12-1
- #12 – Crupi 15-1
- #13 – Victory Formation 3-1
- #14 – Private Creed 12-1
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