Risen Star Stakes (Grade 2) (KYD)- $400.000 Purse
FG- For Three Year Olds
One Mile and One Eighth on the Dirt
February 13, 2021

The Risen Star Stakes at FG was the first 50-point race of the year, so a great opportunity for everyone in the field to boost their chances of getting into the KYD early on. Mb Stables is a trainer that we expect to have multiple entries in the race and to have to choose which horses run due to the unfortunate game rule that only allows three runners per trainer in the KYD. After the Risen Star, Mb Stables knows not one, but two horses that he will have to choose from as Evergreen and Howl Of The Hound finish in a dead heat for the win. That’s right, 50 points for each of them! It can’t get much better than that! He has previously won this race with Moment Of Madness and Spirited Stride, so make it four Risen Star wins now for him. A Cedillo was aboard Evergreen, earning his first win. J R Velazquez, riding Howl Of The Hound, wins for the second time, and the first since being aboard Fusion in 2007. Congratulations to them! The time of the race was 1:48.39. Let’s take a look!

(½ Mile- :48.51)- From the outside, Viral Breakdown says, “Chase me boys” as she jumps out to the early lead for Aer Stables, taking a length and a half advantage over Oleg, who is along the rail for Arindel, and longshot Angelino, out of Nakamura Stables. They are content to stalk the early pace, with Fauci leading the next group, for D J C Racing Stables, another length back. Running in the middle of the field, we have The Bounder (The Sidley Stud) being even with one of our co-winners from Mb Stables, that being Howl Of The Hound. It’s another length to the other Mb winner, that being Evergreen, and he has Afterburner (Fractious) to his outside. Afterburner was very sluggish out of the gate. Trailing are Dutty John Crow (Night Rider Stables), Shalangar B B (Iolaus Racing), and Familiar Moon (John Henry).

(¾ MIle- 1:11.85)- Completing the run down the backstretch, and moving into the turn, Viral Breakdown is still leading the way without having any pressure behind her. That lead is still a length and a half as Oleg and Angelino continue to hold on to their stalking positions behind the filly. Some distance is created behind them momentarily as Fauci loses some ground and Howl Of The Hound claims the fourth position but is still about four lengths off the pace. Evergreen begins to follow the move of his stablemate by looking to run to his inside for the turn. No one was making a bid from further back at this point.

(Top of Stretch, 2F To Go)- Moving into the stretch, Aer Stables had to be happy with the position of Viral Breakdown right here, especially since no one had really challenged her yet. There was still enough time on this long frontstretch, so plenty more work for her to do. Oleg and Angelino were still almost two lengths back now, and neither making a bid. The two Mb Stables entries moved over to the fourth and fifth lanes now, and were nearly running side by side as they looked to make their move but even they still had a lot of ground to make up on Viral Breakdown. If you were looking for a new challenger to emerge further back, that simply was not happening.

(Finish- 1:48.39)- As they moved down the stretch, Viral Breakdown began to get leg weary, and the field started closing in. With less than a furlong to go, she was clinging to the lead and praying for the wire to hurry up and get there. Howl Of The Hound and Evergreen were each running well and both looked to have a great shot in the stretch. Angelino reacted to these two and started making his own bid in response, but you have to wonder why V R Carrasco waited for the Mb Stables runners to pull alongside him when he had a good stalking trip throughout. At any rate, a three horse race was setting up between them, as well as the tiring Viral Breakdown. At the wire, it is a three photo, and the stewards could not separate Howl Of The Hound and Evergreen, something Mb Stables won’t complain about. Third is Angelino, with Viral Breakdown getting the fourth place spoils. Behind them, no one else really factored into this race. Shalanagar BB gets a best of the rest fifth over Oleg. They are followed by Dutty John Crow, Fauci, Afterburner, The Bounder, and Familiar Moon.

 Howl Of The Hound, trained by Mb Stables and ridden to victory by J R Velazquez, is a three year old gelding by Marry Me Mandy, and is out of Stop Traffic. He was bred in New Mexico by Jive Inc as a first quarter two year old and acquired by Mb Stables unraced in the June 2020 auction for $27.060. Congratulations to the connections! He is a perfect 5-for-5 in his career and it’s his third graded victory. His career earnings are now $406.000. Stop the train, we have a new major KYD threat!

Evergreen, trained by Mb Stables and ridden to victory by A Cedillo is a three year old colt by Centerpiece, and is out of Calm and Collected. He was bred in Florida by Mb Stables as a yearling, the only trainer for which he has ever known. Congratulations to the connections! The win is his fourth in eight starts, and his third graded win. His career earnings are now $415.800.

Track: Fast
Time: :48¹  1:11⁴  1:35⁴  1:48¹

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 5 – 9 Paid 24.50, 9 – 5 Paid 24.50
$1 Trifecta: 5 – 9 – 10 Paid 399.20, 9 – 5 – 10 Paid 399.20
Scratched: De Novo, I Show You The Way, Judicial Decision, Proud Crown(L)

— NS

Categories: Grade II, STAKES ARTICLES