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Risen Star, Rachel Alexandra fields taking shape

Red-hot reinsman Javier Castellano, who introduced himself to Fair Grounds fans on Louisiana Derby Preview Day two years ago by winning two of the four graded stakes contested that afternoon, will return to the New Orleans oval February 25 to ride El Padrino for trainer Todd Pletcher in the Grade 2, $300,000 Risen Star.

The 34-year-old native of Maracaibo, Venezuela, who won the 2010 Risen Star on Discreetly Mine and the Grade 3 Fair Grounds Handicap that same afternoon on Blues Street, returned to the Crescent City five weeks later that season to win that year's Grade 2 Mervin H. Muniz Jr. Memorial with Blues Street and the Grade 2 New Orleans Handicap with Battle Plan on Louisiana Derby Day.

Castellano, who made national news earlier this week by choosing to keep the mount on Grade 3 Holy Bull winner Algorithms over Grade 1 Champagne winner Union Rags, will also ride Table Three Ten in the Grade 3 Rachel Alexandra for three-year-old fillies on the Louisiana Derby Preview Day program.

El Padrino flew into the Derby picture with an easy score at Gulfstream Park (Adam Coglianese Photography) El Padrino, whose final odds closed out at 16-1 in first Kentucky Derby Future Wager last Sunday, was originally scheduled to run in last month's Grade 3 Lecomte but his connections opted for an allowance race at Gulfstream January 29 for the colt's debut as a three-year-old. The Kentucky-bred closed out his juvenile campaign with a third-place finish in Aqueduct's Grade 2 Remsen on November 26. Although Risen Star riding assignments are incomplete at this time, Castellano is to ride El Padrino, Robby Albarado is listed for Lecomte winner Mr. Bowling; Leandro Goncalves is set for Lecomte third-placer Shared Property; and Rosie Napravnik is to be up on the Larry Jones-trained Mark Valeski. Other potential candidates for the Risen Star are Z Dager, Tizanexpense, Optimizer, Afford and Hero of Order. Disposablepleasure, heroine of last year's Grade 2 Demoiselle at Aqueduct, will not be coming to the Rachel Alexandra, a race which serves as the final designed local prep for the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks to be run March 31 on the penultimate day of the 2011-12 New Orleans racing season.

Others expected for the Rachel Alexandra are Believe You Can, heroine of the $125,000 Silverbulletday on  January 21, Avie's Sense, Applauding, Annaclone, Summer Applause and Inny Minnie.

Riding assignments for the Rachel Alexandra Stakes are incomplete, but in addition to Castellano being named for Table Three Ten, Rosie Napravnik returns on Believe You Can, Shane Sellers is expected for Applauding, and Shaun Bridgmohan is named for Inny Minnie.

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