East Avenue tops field of 13 in Risen Star; Good Cheer headlines Rachel Alexandra

Despite ending his two-year-old season on a sour note in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), East Avenue is expected to produce a far better effort, perhaps a winning one, in the $500,000 Risen Star (G2) at Fair Grounds.

Contested at 1 1/8 miles, the Risen Star is the first race in the 2025 Road to the Kentucky Derby Challenge series to offer 50 qualifying points to the winner. The next four finishers will earn 25-15-10-5, respectively.

An impressive winner of his first two starts including a 5 1/4-length decision in the Breeders' Futurity (G1), East Avenue shipped west to Del Mar for the Breeders' Cup and was sent off the 8-5 favorite in the Juvenile. However, a bad stumble cost the usually speedy colt all chance, and he remained near the rear of the field throughout while finishing more than 13 lengths behind Citizen Bull.

Twelve others were entered in the Risen Star. Jonathan's Way did only marginally better in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile than East Avenue, finishing a nondescript seventh. The Ohio-bred had previously taken the Iroquois (G3) at Churchill Downs, and most recently was second in the Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) when attempting to overcome a slow pace.

Built was beaten only a neck in the a slowly-run edition of the Lecomte (G3) last month, but proved an ability to run much faster when taking the Dec. 21 Gun Runner S. by 6 3/4 lengths. Magnitude and Render Judgment, his closest pursuers in the Gun Runner, have also returned for the Risen Star.

Powerful Florida-based stables also have a presence in the Risen Star. Three-time winner Todd Pletcher will ship in Vassimo, who makes his stakes debut after a pair of overnight victories. Chad Brown, meanwhile, will saddle Septarian, who races with blinkers for the first time after a last-out third in the Mucho Macho Man S. at Gulfstream.

Others worth noting include Leonatus S. runner-up Chunk of Gold and the D. Wayne Lukas-trained American Promise.

The profile of the Risen Star has risen in recent years. The 2021 winner, Mandaloun, was elevated to first in that year's Kentucky Derby, while the last three winners, future champions Epicenter and Sierra Leone as well as Angel of Empire, all went on to place in the Run for the Roses.

In addition to East Avenue, Godolphin will also have the solid favorite in the $300,000 Rachel Alexandra (G2), a key Road to the Kentucky Oaks prep.

Good Cheer, a dazzling winner of all four starts, will kick off her three-year-old season in the 1 1/16-mile Rachel Alexandra, which offers Oaks qualifying points of 50-25-15-10-5 to the respective top five finishers. The daughter of Medaglia d'Oro endured little pressure in remaining undefeated, including scores in the Rags to Riches S. and Golden Rod (G2).

The other main players in the field of seven are Simply Joking and Bless the Broken, one-two in last month's Silverbulletday S. Ballerina d'Oro, a credible second to Muhimma in the Demoiselle (G2) when last seen, will reportedly scratch after contracting a fever.