Paladin corrals Chip Honcho late in Risen Star, tops Kentucky Derby leaderboard

Earlier this week, the Chad Brown-trained Paladin was installed as the individual favorite in Pool 4 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager that runs over the weekend. On Saturday, the unbeaten colt enhanced his resume, and advanced to the top of the Derby points leaderboard, with a determined rally in the $495,000 Risen Star (G2) at Fair Grounds.

Last seen landing the Remsen (G2) at this 1 1/8-mile trip at Aqueduct, Paladin needed nearly every yard of that distance to reel in pacesetter Chip Honcho here. But the key was his tactical ability to stay in touch early, putting himself in position to capitalize on his stamina and extend his record to 3-for-3.

Paladin was bet down to 7-10 favoritism with jockey Tyler Gaffalione, who was aboard for the first time. Flavien Prat had guided him to his debut win at Aqueduct (upon the disqualification of Renegade) and in the Remsen, but he was half a world away on Saturday for the Saudi Cup extravaganza. 

In the initial stages, Paladin settled in fourth as the 7.40-1 Chip Honcho set sail in front. Chip Honcho, who won the first of the local scoring races in the Dec. 20 Gun Runner S., had regressed to fourth behind Golden Tempo in the Jan. 17 Lecomte (G3). 

But the blinkers-off move by Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen galvanized Chip Honcho in the Risen Star. The colt was in his element winging through fractions of :23.81 and :47.49, chased by Quality Mischief and Carson Street. 

Paladin joined the tracking duo down the backstretch. By the time Chip Honcho reached six furlongs in 1:11.53, Paladin had passed the other stalkers and taken closer order in a menacing second. 

Yet Chip Honcho still appeared to have plenty left swinging into the long homestretch at Fair Grounds. Asmussen’s past two Risen Star winners, champion Epicenter (2022) and Magnitude (2025), were rebounding from losses in the Lecomte. 

Chip Honcho was threatening to reinforce the pattern, and give Asmussen a fifth win in this race, as he kept up the gallop for quite a way. The farther they went, though, the harder he found it to stave off Paladin – a son of Asmussen’s 2016 Risen Star hero, Hall of Famer Gun Runner.

Gaffalione kept Paladin wide in pursuit, perhaps to prevent Chip Honcho from seeing him and provoking a competitive response. Steadily gaining in the final strides, Paladin collared the longtime leader by a half-length.

The final time of 1:49.14 was within shouting distance of Magnitude’s stakes record of 1:48.85, and Epicenter’s previous mark of 1:49.03.

Paladin added 50 Derby points to his account in the Risen Star, which ushers in the Kentucky Derby Championship Series as the major round of preps. Combined with his 10 from the Remsen, he has a total of 60.

Paladin is the second Risen Star winner sired by Gun Runner. The first was champion Sierra Leone (2024), who went on to miss by inches in the Kentucky Derby (G1) and ended his sophomore campaign with a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1). He shared several human connections in common with Paladin. 

Like Sierra Leone, Paladin is trained by Brown for a partnership including the Coolmore principals (Mrs. John Magnier, Derrick Smith, and Michael Tabor), Peter M. Brant, and Brook T. Smith. Also involved in Paladin’s ownership is his breeder, Jane Lyon’s Summer Wind Equine.

“I'm very thankful for the entire ownership team and Chad Brown for giving me the opportunity to ride such a nice horse,” Gaffalione said. “He really fought hard today to get the win. The more I asked of him, the more he was able to dig in to get by (Chip Honcho)."

Chip Honcho picked up 25 points for his runner-up performance, and he now sits second on the leaderboard with 39 in all. 

“He went fast to get to the front,” jockey Luis Saez recapped, “but I had him on the lead where I wanted. He just got a little tired late. I feel like he’s going to be a really nice horse.”

Golden Tempo’s typical attempt to come from the clouds did not pan out as well as it did in the Lecomte, and he finished a further 5 1/2 lengths astern in third. He netted 15 points for a total of 35, good for third in the standings. The Cherie DeVaux pupil still has loads of upside with just three starts under his belt.

“He made a pretty good run out of the turn,” jockey Jose Ortiz said. “The track played to the speed today, but those top two are very nice horses. My horse ran about the same (as in the Lecomte), but still, it was a solid effort.”

Universe churned on for fourth (10 points for a total of 23), followed by Carson Street (five points for a total of 11). Courting, who had been fourth in the Remsen, donned blinkers for this rematch but finished further behind in sixth. Quality Mischief and the ever-trailing Colt Forty Seven concluded the order under the wire.

Paladin, who commanded $1.9 million as a Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling, has bankrolled $484,250. The Kentucky-bred is out of Secret Sigh, a daughter of Tapit and Grade 2 heroine India. Secret Sigh is a half-sister to Mozu Ascot, a versatile Grade 1 winner on both dirt and turf in Japan, from the further family of To Honor and Serve, Angela Renee, and La Cara.

The sales history, and the cross of Gun Runner over an A.P. Indy-line mare, likewise echo those of Sierra Leone. So might Paladin’s next stop on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Sierra Leone prepped in the Blue Grass (G1) at Keeneland, and judging by co-owner Smith’s postrace comments, that’s the plan for Paladin. 

“It was an incredible performance today,” Smith said. “He dug in late to get by. He's an incredibly talented horse. Hopefully, we'll have him back in Kentucky in April then onto the Derby a month later.”