Paladin heads west for Risen Star; Bella Ballerina tops Rachel Alexandra

Remsen (G2) winner Paladin heads west from his winter base in Florida to New Orleans for the $500,000 Risen Star (G2) at Fair Grounds on Saturday. The 1 1/8-mile Risen Star is the first domestic Kentucky Derby (G1) of the year to offer qualifying points of 50-25-15-10-5 to the respective top five finishers.

In targeting the Risen Star, Paladin is following a similar path taken two seasons ago by fellow Chad Brown trainee Sierra Leone, who won the Risen Star and then the Blue Grass (G1) before narrowly losing the Kentucky Derby. Sierra Leone later won the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) and champion three-year-old honors.

Paladin won on debut via the disqualification of Renegade, but returned to beat that rival soundly by two lengths in the nine-furlong Remsen. Renegade has since franked the form with a decisive victory in last weekend's Sam F. Davis S. at Tampa Bay Downs.

Also exiting the Remsen is Courting, a Todd Pletcher-trained stablemate of Renegade. Courting was bumped leaving the gate of the Aqueduct feature and only managed to close for fourth, seven lengths adrift of Paladin. Courting will race with blinkers for the first time on Saturday.

Deep-closing Golden Tempo was along in time to win the Lecomte (G3) at Fair Grounds last month while finishing ahead of returning rivals Carson Street, Gun Runner S. winner Chip Honcho, and Quality Mischief. The field is rounded out by multiple graded-placed Universe, a dull seventh in the Smarty Jones S. in early January, and Colt Forty Seven, whose two wins to date occurred in claiming races.

The $300,000 Rachel Alexandra (G2), a 1 1/16-mile Kentucky Oaks (G1) prep with qualifying points of 50-25-15-10-5 on the line, is led by Golden Rod (G2) heroine Bella Ballerina. The Godolphin homebred built up a big lead in the stretch of that Churchill Downs feature and held on to win by a half-length. One length behind was Just Singing, a returning rival who finished third.

Trainer Cherie DeVaux has an intriguing stakes newcomer in Powered by Family, who rallied from 14 lengths down to break her maiden in an off-the-turf event on Jan. 10. Adding blinkers is Luv Your Neighbor, an unlucky and narrowly beaten second in both the Untapable S. and Silverbulletday S. earlier in the meet. Luv Your Neighbor was beaten a neck in the Untapable after her rider lost an iron in the stretch, and the filly was an apparent victim of a tepid pace in the Silverbulletday when losing by a head.

Hit Show, winner last season of four stakes including the Dubai World Cup (G1) and Louisiana (G3) at Fair Grounds, tops a field of seven older horses in the $250,000 Mineshaft (G3) over 1 1/16 miles. Accelerize returns to New Orleans after posting an 8-1 upset in the the 2026 renewal of the Louisiana on Jan. 17, while late-blooming Time to Win makes his stakes debut off back-to-back wins in maiden and allowance company.

Many of the faces in the $175,000 Fair Grounds (G3) for older horses at 1 1/8 miles on the turf also competed in last month's Colonel E.R. Bradley S., a group led by Bradley winner Kapuna. Adding intrigue are 2025 Wise Dan (G2) hero Brilliant Berti, Woodchopper S. winner Montador, and Agate Road, a Grade 2 winner on the turf as a juvenile back in 2023.

The $100,000 Albert M. Stall Memorial, for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on the turf, is led by last month's Marie Krantz Memorial winner Medoro and multiple stakes heroine Oversubscribed, the latter from the barn of Chad Brown. The stakes action Saturday kicks off in the $100,000 Colonel Power S., a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint Usually Wrong will be strongly favored to win.