Risen Star Stakes Handicapping Picks
Horse racing gamblers are you looking for 2025 Risen Star Stakes Free Pick & Handicapping Odds…plus some predictions? Need some advice on who to take? The 2025 (G2) Risen Star is set for February 15 at Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, LA. Here’s a preview of our top contenders.
Risen Star Stakes Preview
- Race: Risen Star Stakes
- Purse: $500,000
- Distance: 1 1/8 miles
- Track: Fair Grounds Race Course
- Date: February 15, 2025
- Post Time: 7:30 PM (ET)
- Live: Risen Star Stakes Odds: Click Here
Before we can give you our expert 2025 Risen Star Stakes free pick, we have to break down the entries! In fact, we’d love to hear from you after you’ve given this post a read to see if you see an angle that we don’t!
2025 Risen Star Stakes Handicapping
Qualifying for the 2025 Kentucky Derby takes a swing through the bayou this Saturday with the running of the (G2) Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds in New Orleans.
The final prep before the (G1) Louisiana Derby, the Risen Star offers Derby qualifying points on a 50-25-15-10-5 scale to the top five finishers. Forty points are typically enough for a horse to make the starting gate for the Derby, so the winner here will likely punch his ticket to the big race.
The field has been reduced to 12 starters with the scratch of Jonathan’s Way, one of the top contenders at odds of 4-1 in the morning line. It’s also worth noting that rain is expected throughout the day at Fair Grounds, so we can expect the track to be muddy at best.
Odds listed here are provided by the Fair Grounds oddsmaker.
2025 Risen Star Stakes Free Pick & Handicapping: East Avenue Race Odds: 9-5
After easily winning his first two career starts by a combined 13 1/4 lengths, East Avenue went to the gate as the favourite for the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. However, he stumbled badly coming out of the gate and lost all chance, finishing ninth.
This will be his first start since that race in early November and so it’s a bit of a question mark as to whether he’ll be at the very top of his game. He’s a clear front-runner in a race with lots of others that normally stalk the lead or come from off the pace, so with a good break he should be in control early.
2025 Risen Star Stakes Free Pick & Handicapping: Built Race Odds: 5-1
Just under one month ago Built worked his way to the lead over a sloppy Fair Grounds track in the (G3) Lecomte Stakes before just being nailed at the wire to lose by a neck.
Prior to that he picked up his first stakes win with a front-running open-lengths score in the Gun Runner Stakes, also at Fair Grounds. He’s one that can rate off the pace, but it’s more likely he’ll be close to the leader here in a race that doesn’t have a lot of early speed.
Vassimo Race Odds: 8-1
Vassimo only made his caeer debut in late December at Gulfstream Park, where he picked up his maiden victory over a rival that came back to win next out. He then went to Tampa Bay Downs and upped his record to two-for-two with a 2 1/2 length win at the first allowance level.
He’s taking a significant step up in class here and racing beyond a mile for the first time, but his breeding suggests he should get the distance and he appears to be a colt with a lot of upside.
Vamos Carlitos Race Odds: 30-1
Vamos Carlitos got his maiden win at first asking over a track rated wet-fast and over a second-place finisher that came back to win his next start.
He then tried turf racing but was a non-factor in his single start on the grass. Moving back to the dirt he was dropped to the claiming ranks for a win at Churchill Downs, and then ran in an allowance event at Fair Grounds where he was second but beaten only 3/4 of a length. He’s an interesting long shot who should handle the footing and could come flying late to pick up a piece of the money.
Here’s My 2025 Risen Star Stakes Free Pick.
The scratch of Jonathan’s Way changes the complexion of the race somewhat, although not likely from a pace perspective as he’s one that typically like to stalk off the leaders. The biggest effect might be felt in the odds, as it’s likely both East Avenue and Built will drop from their morning line, perhaps significantly in the case of Built.
East Avenue has shown the most talent of those left in the field, and if he can show the same form as he did in winning the (G1) Breeders’ Futurity in October at Keeneland, it’s probably his race to lose.
That said, I’m a bit wary of young horses making their first start off a long layoff, and I’ll try and beat him and get some value with Vassimo for the win. He should be at the top of his form cycle coming into this, and while he is taking his first crack at stakes company, I’m not really overwhelmed by the bulk of this field. With another step forward he could be right there at the end.
Full Field: 2025 Risen Star Stakes Odds
By post position
- #1 – American Promise 12-1
- #2 – Jonathan’s Way (scratched)
- #3 – Vassimo 8-1
- #4 – East Avenue 9-5
- #5 – Chunk Of Gold 30-1
- #6 – Seattle Road 30-1
- #7 – Septarian 12-1
- #8 – Giocoso 20-1
- #9 – Built 5-1
- #10 – Render Judgement 12-1
- #11 – Jolly Samurai 30-1
- #12 – Vamos Carlitos 30-1
- #13 – Magnitude 12-1
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