Risen Star Stakes
Horse race
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The Risen Star Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses at a distance of one and one-eighth miles on the dirt run annually in February, usually during the President's Day weekend at Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, Louisiana. The event currently offers a purse of $500,000.
| Class | Grade II |
|---|---|
| Location | Fair Grounds Race Course New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Inaugurated | 1973 (as Louisiana Derby Trial) |
| Race type | Thoroughbred - Flat racing |
| Sponsor | Fasig-Tipton (2025) |
| Website | Fair Grounds |
| Race information | |
| Distance | 1+1⁄8 miles (9 furlongs) |
| Surface | Dirt |
| Track | left-handed |
| Qualification | Three-year-olds |
| Weight | 122 lbs |
| Purse | $500,000 (since 2025) |
| Bonuses | Qualification points – Road to the Kentucky Derby |
History
The event was inaugurated 16 March 1973 as the Louisiana Derby Trial with handicap conditions over a distance of one mile and forty yards with the Indiana bred colt Navajo victorious by one length over Smooth Dancer with Assagai Jr. in third place.[1] The time run by the winner was 1:40 flat. Navajo received free entry into the Louisiana Derby and finished second to Leo's Pisces. Later that year Navajo ran in the Kentucky Derby and finished seventh to Secretariat.
The event as a trial race immediately became a major prep for the Louisiana Derby.
In 1975 the event was increased to 1+1⁄16 miles and was won by Master Derby.[2] Master Derby followed up winning the Louisiana Derby. Later in his Triple Crown campaign, Master Derby was victorious in the Preakness.
The event was shortened back to its inaugural distance in 1988 of 1 mile and 40 yards.[3] The event that year was won by Risen Star who went on to win the Preakness and Belmont Stakes and be voted the 1988 Eclipse Award for American Champion Three-Year-Old Male Horse. The following year the track renamed the event in honor of Risen Star to the Risen Star Stakes.
In 1991 the distance of the event was increased to 1+1⁄16 miles[3] and in 2002 the American Graded Stakes Committee upgraded the race to Grade III.[3] The event was upgraded once more in 2010 to Grade II.[4]
The Risen Star Stakes was run in two divisions in 1989, 1993, 1995 and 2020.[5]
No winner of the Risen Star Stakes has gone on to win the Kentucky Derby. However, two runners who have run in the event have gone on to win the Run for the Roses. War Emblem finished sixth at Fair Grounds before winning at Churchill Downs in 2002. Country House was second in the Risen Star before crossing second in the 2019 Kentucky Derby, only to be promoted after first-place finisher Maximum Security was disqualified by Kentucky stewards for interference. The Risen Star also has produced two winners of the second leg of the American Triple Crown: Master Derby (1975) and War of Will (2019). It has also produced two winners of the Breeders' Cup Classic: Gun Runner and Mucho Macho Man.[6]
The event is part of the Road to the Kentucky Derby.
Records
Speed record:
- 1+1⁄8 miles – 1:48.85 Magnitude (2025)
- 1+1⁄16 miles – 1:42.80 Zarbs Magic (1996)
- 1 mile and 40 yards – 1:39.80 Heavy Mayonnaise (1974)
Margins:
- 10 lengths – Badge of Silver (2003)
Most wins by a jockey:
- 3 - Shane P. Romero (1988, 1989, 1992)
- 3 - Robby Albarado (2003, 2004, 2007)
- 3 - Florent Geroux (2016, 2020, 2021)
- 3 - Tyler Gaffalione (2019, 2024, 2026)
Most wins by a trainer:
- 4 - Steve Asmussen (2008, 2016, 2022, 2025)
Most wins by an owner:
- 4 - Winchell Thoroughbreds (2008, 2016, 2022, 2025)
Risen Star Stakes – Louisiana Derby double:
- Master Derby †(1975), Taylor's Special †(1984), Risen Star †(1988), Dispersal (1989), Line in the Sand (1992), Dixieland Heat (1993), Comic Strip (1998), Pyro (2008), Friesan Fire (2009), International Star (2015), Gun Runner (2016), Girvin (2017), Epicenter (2022)
Notes:
† Risen Star Stakes was known as the Louisiana Derby Trial.
Winners
| Year | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Distance | Time | Purse | Grade | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At Fair Grounds – Risen Star Stakes | ||||||||||
| 2026 | Paladin | Tyler Gaffalione | Chad C. Brown | Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Peter Brant, Brook T. Smith & Summer Wind Equine | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:49.14 | $495,000 | II | [7] | |
| 2025 | Magnitude | Ben Curtis | Steven M. Asmussen | Winchell Thoroughbreds | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:48.85 | $500,000 | II | [8] | |
| 2024 | Sierra Leone | Tyler Gaffalione | Chad C. Brown | Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Westerburg, Brook T. Smith & Peter Brant | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:52.13 | $400,000 | II | [9] | |
| 2023 | Angel of Empire | Luis Saez | Brad H. Cox | Albaugh Family Stables | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:51.47 | $400,000 | II | [10] | |
| 2022 | Epicenter | Joel Rosario | Steven M. Asmussen | Winchell Thoroughbreds | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:49.03 | $400,000 | II | [11] | |
| 2021 | Mandaloun | Florent Geroux | Brad H. Cox | Juddmonte Farms | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:50.39 | $400,000 | II | [12] | |
| 2020 | Mr. Monomoy | Florent Geroux | Brad H. Cox | Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb & Doheny Racing | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:50.43 | $400,000 | II | Division 1[13] | |
| Modernist | Junior Alvarado | William I. Mott | Pam & Martin Wygod | 1:51.28 | $400,000 | Division 2[14] | ||||
| 2019 | War of Will | Tyler Gaffalione | Mark E. Casse | Gary Barber | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.59 | $400,000 | II | [15] | |
| 2018 | Bravazo | Miguel Mena | D. Wayne Lukas | Calumet Farm | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.95 | $400,000 | II | [16] | |
| 2017 | Girvin | Brian Hernandez Jr. | Joe Sharp | Brad Grady | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.08 | $400,000 | II | [17] | |
| 2016 | Gun Runner | Florent Geroux | Steven M. Asmussen | Winchell Thoroughbreds & Three Chimneys Farm | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.94 | $400,000 | II | [18] | |
| 2015 | International Star | Miguel Mena | Michael J. Maker | Kenneth & Sarah Ramsey | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.82 | $400,000 | II | [19] | |
| 2014 | Intense Holiday | Mike E. Smith | Todd A. Pletcher | Starlight Racing | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.86 | $400,000 | II | [20] | |
| 2013 | Ive Struck a Nerve | James Graham | J. Keith Desormeaux | Big Chief Racing | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.52 | $400,000 | II | [21] | |
| 2012 | El Padrino | Javier Castellano | Todd A. Pletcher | Let's Go Stable | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.96 | $300,000 | II | [22] | |
| 2011 | Mucho Macho Man | Rajiv Maragh | Katherine Ritvo | Reeves Thoroughbred Racing & Dream Team One Racing Stable | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.98 | $300,000 | II | [23] | |
| 2010 | Discreetly Mine | Javier Castellano | Todd A. Pletcher | E. Paul Robsham Stables | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.88 | $300,000 | II | [24] | |
| 2009 | Friesan Fire | Gabriel Saez | J. Larry Jones | Fox Hill Farms & Vinery Stables | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:45.11 | $200,000 | III | [25] | |
| 2008 | Pyro | Shaun Bridgmohan | Steven M. Asmussen | Winchell Thoroughbreds | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.68 | $300,000 | III | [26] | |
| 2007 | Notional | Robby Albarado | Doug F. O'Neill | J. Paul Reddam | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.18 | $300,000 | III | [27] | |
| At Louisiana Downs | ||||||||||
| 2006 | Lawyer Ron | John McKee | Robert E. Holthus | James T. Hines Jr. | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.13 | $268,000 | III | [28] | |
| At Fair Grounds | ||||||||||
| 2005 | Scipion | Gary L. Stevens | Patrick L. Biancone | Virginia Kraft Payson | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.54 | $150,000 | III | [29] | |
| 2004 | Gradepoint | Robby Albarado | Neil J. Howard | Mt. Brilliant Stable & William S. Farish III | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:45.36 | $150,000 | III | [30] | |
| 2003 | Badge of Silver | Robby Albarado | Ronny W. Werner | Kenneth & Sarah Ramsey | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.99 | $150,000 | III | [31] | |
| 2002 | Repent | Anthony J. D'Amico | Kenneth G. McPeek | Select Stable | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.86 | $150,000 | III | [32] | |
| 2001 | Dollar Bill | Chris McCarron | Dallas Stewart | Gary & Mary West Stables | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.45 | $125,000 | Listed | [33] | |
| 2000 | Exchange Rate | Corey Nakatani | D. Wayne Lukas | Padua Stables & Anne Sanan | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.25 | $125,000 | Listed | [34] | |
| 1999 | Ecton Park | Shane Sellers | W. Elliott Walden | Mark H. Stanley | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.83 | $125,000 | Listed | [35] | |
| 1998 | Comic Strip | Shane Sellers | Neil J. Howard | James Elkins, William S. Farish III & G. Watts Humphrey Jr. | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.20 | $125,000 | Listed | [36] | |
| 1997 | Open Forum | Donna M. Barton | D. Wayne Lukas | Robert & Beverly Lewis | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.20 | $100,000 | Listed | [37] | |
| 1996 | Zarb's Magic | Elvis Joseph Perrodin | W. Bret Thomas | Foxwood Plantation | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:42.80 | $63,250 | Listed | [38] | |
| 1995 | Knockadoon | Willie Martinez | Anthony L. Reinstedler | William K. Warren Jr. | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:45.22 | $53,137 | Listed | Division 1[39] | |
| Beavers Nose | Kenneth Bourque | Eldridge Hebert Jr. | R. W. Raymond & D. O. Philips | 1:45.44 | $52,987 | Division 2[40] | ||||
| 1994 | Fly Cry | Ronald D. Ardoin | Thomas M. Amoss | Al Prats & Bryan Wagner | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.02 | $51,923 | Listed | [41] | |
| 1993 | Dixieland Heat | Randy Romero | Gerald J. Romero | Leland Cook | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.20 | $26,800 | Listed | Division 1[42] | |
| Dry Bean | Aaron Gryder | Thomas K. Bohannan | Loblolly Stable | 1:43.80 | $26,800 | Division 2[43] | ||||
| 1992 | Line in the Sand | Shane P. Romero | Neil J. Howard | William S. Farish III | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:45.00 | $32,725 | [44] | ||
| 1991 | Big Courage | Tammy Lee Fox | William I. Fox Sr. | Mrs. Patsy Fox | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:46.70 | $32,050 | [45] | ||
| 1990 | Genuine Meaning | John Hirdes | Ronnie G. Tenhundfeld | Robert Asaro | 1 mile & 40 yards | 1:40.80 | $27,900 | [46] | ||
| 1989 | Nooo Problema | Shane P. Romero | Donald R. Winfree | Mr. & Mrs. John H. Reed | 1 mile & 40 yards | 1:42.20 | $20,000 | Division 1[47] | ||
| Dispersal | Bobby J. Walker Jr. | Bud Delp | Harry & Tom Meyerhoff | 1:42.80 | $20,000 | Division 2[48] | ||||
| Louisiana Derby Trial Stakes | ||||||||||
| 1988 | Risen Star | Shane P. Romero | Louie J. Roussel III | Louie J. Roussel III | 1 mile & 40 yards | 1:40.00 | $20,000 | [49] | ||
| 1987 | Authentic Hero | Larry Melancon | Donald R. Winfree | James J. Devaney | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:48.00 | $25,000 | [50] | ||
| 1986 | Dr. Bee Jay | Ricky Frazier | Tommie T. Morgan | Jimmy Clary & Tommie T. Morgan | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:45.40 | $30,000 | [51] | ||
| 1985 | Mischiefinmind | Ronald Ardoin | Gerald J. Romero | Gerald J. Romero | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:45.80 | $25,000 | [52] | ||
| 1984 | Taylor's Special | Randy Romero | William I. Mott | William F. Lucas | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.00 | $25,000 | [53] | ||
| 1983 | Explosive Wagon | Charlie Mueller | Gene C. Norman | Mrs. Peggy McReynolds | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:43.80 | $25,000 | [54] | ||
| 1982 | Linkage | Greg Smith | Henry S. Clark | Mrs. Harry W. Lunger | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.40 | $25,000 | [55] | ||
| 1981 | Senate Chairman | Earlie Fires | Ronald G. Warren | Russell Micheal Jr. | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:45.00 | $25,000 | [56] | ||
| 1980 | Withholding | Bryan Fann | Ronald G. Warren | Russell Micheal Jr. | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:46.80 | $25,000 | [57] | ||
| 1979 | Incredible Ease | James D. Nichols | Billy S. Borders | Izzie Proler & Joseph R. Straus Jr. | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:45.80 | $25,000 | [58] | ||
| 1978 | Batonnier | Wayne M. Catalano | Harry E. Trotsek | Edward A. Seltzer | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.20 | $25,000 | [59] | ||
| 1977 | Run Dusty Run | Darrel McHargue | William E. Adams | Golden Chance Farm | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.60 | $25,000 | [60] | ||
| 1976 | Go East Young Man | Eddie Delahoussaye | Dewey P. Smith | Dorothy Dorsett Brown | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:45.00 | $25,000 | [61] | ||
| 1975 | § Master Derby | Darrel McHargue | William E. Adams | Golden Chance Farm | 1+1⁄16 miles | 1:44.40 | $25,000 | [62] | ||
| 1974 | Heavy Mayonnaise | Craig Perret | Don Kempfer | Albert H. Stall & William E. Trotter | 1 mile & 40 yards | 1:39.80 | $25,000 | [63] | ||
| 1973 | Navajo | Weston Soirez | James O. Keefer | Joe Stevenson & Ray Stump | 1 mile & 40 yards | 1:40.00 | $20,000 | [1] | ||
Notes:
§ Ran as an entry