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International Star rallies up rail for Risen Star; Imperia fifth
The trainer was asked about coming back in the $750,000 Louisiana Derby (G2) on March 28. "Not going to change routes for him; he loves it (at Fair Grounds) and there's no reason to change course." Off as the 7-2 third choice, International Star settled in sixth during the early stages as St. Joe Bay (Saint Anddan) showed the way through splits of :23 1/5, :47 and 1:12. Mena guided his mount to the inside on the backstretch and International Star closed boldly along the innermost path to take command in upper stretch. The New York-bred winner completed 1 1/16 miles in 1:43 4/5 on the fast track. "The post position worried me," Mena said. "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. I think more distance will be no problem." International Star also rallied up the rail in the Lecomte, scoring by 2 1/2 lengths. "He rates well, he loves the rail; it doesn't matter how tight the hole is -- he goes for it," Mena said. "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." International Star withstood an objection claim from War Story's rider Kent Desormeaux, who claimed early interference against the winner. War Story left the gate as the 7-2 second choice and wound up 1 3/4 lengths better than the late-running Keen Ice (Curlin) in third. St. Joe Bay saved fourth, and 3-2 favorite Imperia (Medaglia d'Oro) wound up a well-beaten fifth in his 2015 debut. "We had a great trip, but he just didn't handle the surface," Mike Smith said of Imperia. "When I had him in hand he was fine, but when I asked him to pick up, he just started swimming." A debut winner on turf at Belmont Park last June, International Star subsequently ran second in the Rockville Center for New York-breds, finished second in the With Anticipation (G2) on turf, and then landed the 1 1/16-mile Grey by 1 1/4 lengths on Polytrack. He was ninth, beaten 3 1/4 lengths, in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1), prior to his aforementioned fourth in the Kentucky Jockey Club. His record now stands at 8-4-2-0, $560,979. Bred by Kartharine Voss and Robert Manfuso, International Star sold for $85,000 at the 2013 Fasig-Tipton Maryland September sale. He was produced by Parlez (French Deputy), who is also the dam of stakes winners Fools in Love and D C Dancer, both by Not for Love. International Star's third dam was Halory (Halo), whose progeny included Grade/Group 2 winners Halory Hunter (Jade Hunter) and Van Nistelrooy (Storm Cat), and Grade 3 scorers Prory (Procida), Brushed Halory (Broad Brush) and Key Lory (Keu to the Mint). Farther back, this family yielded 1954 juvenile champion High Voltage (*Ambiorix)
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