Photo by Amanda Hodges Weir / Hodges Photography
By Sarah Mace
Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s International Star (Fusaichi Pegasus), who swept the three Fair Grounds preps for last year’s Run for the Roses only to scratch the morning of the Kentucky Derby with heat on the inside quarter of his left front hoof, drove his Fair Grounds record up to a perfect four-for-four on Saturday when he earned a trip to the winner’s circle in the $75,000 Louisiana Stakes at 1 1/16 miles.
Heavily favored for his return to the races at four in the Zia Park Derby on November 25 in New Mexico, International Star failed to flash any of the talent that led to last year’s stakes victories. Usually a stretch runner, he tired to fourth after contesting the pace, beaten by 13 lengths.
Owner Ken Ramsey dismissed the race, believing that external circumstances worked against the Mike Maker trainee.
“He had a disastrous trip out to Zia Park,” Ramsey commented. “It wasn’t so much bad luck as we were probably misguided in sending him out there. We couldn’t get transportation and even if we flew him, we would have to van him from there, so it was too many van rides. So, we hauled him all the way from Kentucky in one of my own vans and it didn’t go well. I really wanted to get another derby victory for him, since we couldn’t run him in the Kentucky Derby.”
Ramsey felt confident we’d see a much better performance at Fair Grounds on Saturday. “I think you’ll see a different horse this time around.” We did.
Breaking from the outside post of six under Miguel Mena, International Star entered the clubhouse turn four wide, then dropped to the rail to settle in fifth five lengths of the off the pace, which was set by Majestic Harbor, who posted splits of 24.46, 48.42, and 1:13.10.
Advancing in the far turn, International Star rallied five wide into the lane and launched a bid in upper stretch. Around the furlong marker the bay New York-bred shot past new leader Eagle, who had grabbed the top spot as he emerged from the turn, and opened up to a 1 1/2-length victory in a final time of 1:44.44. Third betting choice among the three most popular horses in the field — favorite Eagle who finished second and second choice Majestic Harbor who faded to fifth — the colt paid $7.80 for a $2 win bet.
Jockey Miguel Mena said, “He’s a nice horse. Mike (Maker) was telling me how good he was doing and he likes this racetrack. We were on the rail on the turn and I swung him out so he wouldn’t get stopped today and he was full of run.”
In addition to winning the Grade 3 LeComte, Grade 2 Risen Star and Grade 2 Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds at three, International Star was an accomplished juvenile, annexing the Grade 3 Grey Stakes at Woodbine and finishing second in both the Grade 2 With Anticipation on turf and restricted Rockville Center Stakes. His record now stands at six wins and two seconds with an earnings bankroll of $1,066,629.
Bred by longtime Maryland breeders and owners 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.
International Star’s dam Parlez is a multiple winner by French Deputy Parlez and a granddaughter of Halory (Halo), the dam of five graded stakes winners, including Blue Grass Stakes winner Halory Hunter.
Parlez has produced five winners in all, including stakes winners Fools in Love by Not For Love, who earned over $240,000 and D C Dancer by the same sire, a $270,000-earner. She has a two-year-old colt by Not for Love, was barren in 2015 and bred to Fusaichi Pegasus in 2015.
