Will Remsen Alumni Shine in the Risen Star Stakes?

Will the top finishers in Saturday's $500,000 Risen Star (G2) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots be two colts exiting last fall's Remsen (G2) at Aqueduct Racetrack? I think there's a strong chance that will be the case. Eight horses have entered the Risen Star, and while there's talent among the local runners, the two New York raiders--who have spent the winter training in Florida--may ship in and sweep the exacta. #4 Paladin (8-5) is the morning-line favorite in his sophomore debut. The Chad Brown trainee debuted last October in a one-mile maiden special weight at Aqueduct, in which he raced forwardly and battled gamely down the homestretch to cross the wire second by a head against Renegade. However, the latter colt was disqualified for interference, giving Paladin the win. Paladin and Renegade met again in the 1 1/8-mile Remsen on Dec. 6, and this time, Paladin was clearly best. He settled no more than 3 1/2 lengths off the pace before surging in the homestretch to defeat Renegade by two lengths. The form of the Remsen has held up well so far. Renegade returned last week to dominate the Sam F. Davis S. at Tampa Bay Downs. Third-place finisher Balboa came back to run second in Aqueduct's Jerome S. Grittiness, who finished fifth in the Remsen, improved to second in last week's Withers S. at Aqueduct. And sixth-place runner Igniter bounced back to dominate a seven-furlong $100,000 allowance optional claimer at Aqueduct. Two years ago, Brown sent out Remsen runner-up Sierre Leone to win the Risen Star in his three-year-old debut. Paladin looks ready to do the same. Half a dozen workouts over the slow track at Payson Park should have him fit for a strong showing, and the Beyer speed figures he posted as a juvenile (87 and 85) are the best in the Risen Star field. None of the other entrants have posted a number higher than 83. Paladin is my top choice to win the Remsen. My second choice is #7 Courting (6-1), the other Remsen alumnus. Courting showed flashes of talent as a two-year-old. I was impressed with his performance in a one-mile maiden special weight on Nov. 9 at Aqueduct. He led all the way through steady fractions of :24.11, :47.94, and 1:12.08 before accelerating his final quarter-mile in :23.95 to pull away and win by 2 1/2 lengths over Grittiness. This effort stamped Courting as a 6-1 chance in the Remsen. The son of Curlin got shuffled back in traffic shortly after the break and wound up in ninth place, 7 1/4 lengths off the early pace. But he never gave up and steadily passed rivals to finish fourth. Courting is adding blinkers for the Risen Star, which could potentially sharpen his focus and tactical speed. He reminds me of two previous sons of Curlin trained by Pletcher: Known Agenda and Vino Rosso. Known Agenda broke his maiden as a juvenile, then finished third in the Remsen and fifth in the Sam F. Davis (G3). He added blinkers after that and improved dramatically to win an allowance optional claimer and the Florida Derby (G1) in succession. Vino Rosso opened his career with maiden and allowance wins before running third in the Sam F. Davis. Then he added blinkers, and following a fourth-place finish in the Tampa Bay Derby (G2), he improved to win the Wood Memorial (G2). I believe Courting can follow a similar trajectory. He's put together a promising work tab at Palm Beach Downs highlighted by a bullet half-mile in :48 4/5, and Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez retains the mount. There's a lot to like about Courting, including his 6-1 morning-line odds. For third place, I'll side with #2 Golden Tempo (3-1), who closed from out of the clouds to win his debut in a six-furlong maiden special weight at Fair Grounds. He then stepped up sharply in class and distance to win the 1 1/16-mile Lecomte (G3) at Fair Grounds with a similar late charge. I love the way Golden Tempo launched a sustained rally between and inside of rivals to win the Lecomte in his stakes and route debut. His final time of 1:44.98 wasn't remarkable, and he needs to move forward from a Beyer speed figure perspective, but his pedigree suggests he'll relish 1 1/8 miles and improve with maturity. He has lots of upside and should produce another good effort in the Risen Star. Selections 1st: Paladin 2nd: Courting 3rd: Golden Tempo Now it's your turn! Who do you like in the Risen Star? ***** Want to test your handicapping skills against fellow Unlocking Winners readers? Check out the Unlocking Winners contests page. There's a new challenge every week! ***** The Unlocking Winners Road to the Kentucky Derby Handicapping Challenge is back! Check out the special contest page to play along.