Star is rising for Friesan Fire

Friesan Fire drew off in the Risen Star (Lou Hodges Jr. Photo)

Vinery Stable and Fox Hill Farms' FRIESAN FIRE (A.P. Indy) bullied his way

between horses at the top of the lane and powerfully drove home to capture the

$200,000

Risen Star S. (G3)

by two lengths at Fair Grounds on Saturday. Trained by Larry Jones,

the bay colt was a bit rank in the early going under Gabriel Saez but got his

act together when it mattered most, drawing away from a game Flying Pegasus

(Fusaichi Pegasus) in the latter stages. A winner of the Lecomte S. (G3) over

this oval most recently, the talented dark bay clocked 1 1/16 miles over the

fast main oval in 1:45 and returned $7.60, $4.60 and $3.40 as the 5-2 second

choice.

"I had horses on both sides of me," Saez explained. "When it opened up, I ran

past both those horses and kept the pressure on."

"When he finds the racetrack, he can really run," Jones said. "This horse is

a late foal (April), combined with being an A.P. Indy, that usually means a late

bloomer. We are pleased at his progress. We think his best is before him."

Friesan Fire is now two-for-two in 2009 (Lynn Roberts/Fair Grounds)

Giant Oak (Giant's Causeway), the 2-1 favorite, broke slowest of all and

never factored in here while rallying late to be fifth. He was trailed by Soul

Warrior (Lion Heart), Indygo Mountain (A.P. Indy), Au Moon (Malibu Moon), Dumar

(Maria's Mon), pacesetter It Happened Again (Proud Citizen), Map of the World

(Hennessy), Summer's Empire (Empire Maker) and Code of Honour (Omega Code).  

The winner was bred in Kentucky by Grapestock LLC and RNA'd for $725,000 at

the 2007 Keeneland September yearling sale. The bay colt is out of Australian

Group 1 winner Bollinger (Aus) (Dehere), who is also the dam of the yearling

filly Champagne Run (More Than Ready). The 10-year-old Bollinger is out of

Australian champion Bint Marscay (Aus) (Marscay). Friesan Fire, who also

recorded a fourth in the Nashua S. (G3) last fall, improved his career line to

6-3-1-1, $243,265.