Hodges Photography/Lou Hodges, Jr.
Things may not have gone Upstart’s way at Gulfstream Park on Saturday afternoon, but the “stars” did align later on at Fair Grounds when Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s International Star (Fusaichi Pegasus) catapulted himself to the top of the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” points leaderboard with a gutsy paint-scraping victory in the Grade 2, $400,000 Risen Star Stakes.
International Star was last seen winning the Fair Grounds’ Grade 3 LeComte on January 17 with a career-best performance under Miguel Mena. Reunited with the same rider on Saturday, International Star shipped in to New Orleans from Gulfstream Park having posted two strong works for trainer Mike Maker, the more recent, a best-of-39 five-furlong drill on February 14. By contrast with his rail draw in the LeComte, however – a cozy spot for a colt who likes to run inside – the bay faced the challenge of getting position from the outside post in a field of nine.
Out of the gate cleanly and sharply as the 7-2 third betting choice, International Star met the challenge presented by his post early, working his way deftly over into the two path under Mena by the time the field began rounding the clubhouse turn. He was then able to set up shop at the rail in sixth for the early stages of the 1 1/16-mile route.
After longshots St. Joe Bay and Hero of Humor vied on the front end through a first quarter-mile in 23.29 and half in 47.08, International Star began his bid on the far turn, making a big advance into third in relatively tight quarters just inside Bluff. Then, just past the quarter pole, he slipped through an extremely narrow opening to the inside of St. Joe Bay
Digging in at the rail, International Star shook clear of his rival inside the final furlong and drew off to secure a one-length victory. War Story closed into second, 1 3/4 lengths ahead of Keen Ice and St. Joe Bay, who finished heads apart. After three-quarters in 1:12.16, International Star stopped the clock after 8.5 furlongs at 1:43.82. [VIDEO]
A confident Mike Maker said, “He was doing super and he ran as advertised. I wasn’t worried about the post. Realistically I thought we had an outside trip and we wound up having a trip like in the LeComte turning for home looked.”
Miguel Mena had a bit more concern about the set-up, but was impressed by his mount’s heart. “The post position worried me. You never know if you can get to the rail, where he wants to be. I was impressed because I moved at the five-sixteenths-pole to get through and he came through a tight hole and then another one at the quarter-pole and kept running and drawing away.”
Mena feels confident in the colt’s ability to keep moving forward. “I think more distance will be no problem. He rates well, he loves the rail; it doesn’t matter how tight the hole is – he goes for it. When I put him on the rail, he grabs the bit and when we come up to a tight hole, he just goes for it. Not many horses do it. The more you save, the more you’re going to get. He’s not much to look at it, but he has a big heart.”
Maker said that International Star will point next to the Louisiana Derby on March 28. “Not going to change routes for him; he loves it [at Fair Grounds] and there’s no reason to change course.”
International Star, whose third graded victory improves his career record to four firsts and two seconds from eight starts and swells his bankroll to $560,979, also brought his Kentucky Derby points total to a leaderboard-topping 71, which assures him a berth in the Run for the Roses.
In addition to picking up 50 points for the Risen Star, the colt earned 10 points for winning the Grade 3 LaComte, 10 points for winning the Grey Stakes at Woodbine last October and one point for his show finish in the Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs.
Bred by Katharine M. Voss and Robert T. Manfuso and foaled at Berkshire Stud in Pine Plains, International Star was purchased by the Ramseys as a yearling for $85,000 out of the Fasig Tipton select yearling sale in September in Timonium. His dam is Parlez, a multiple winner by French Deputy who has produced five winners in all, including stakes winner Fools in Love by Not For Love.
