2/25 (FG): Risen Star (G2), Mineshaft, Rachel, FG H. (G3's)

[Calzone Lord]

Originally Posted by El Padrino

excelent time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You can also note that he went only about 2 lengths faster than the 3yo fillies in the Rachel Alexandra did at the same distance.

The horse who finished 4th by 6 lengths took 9 tries to break his maiden and was 87-to-1 as a part-of-entry.

It was an acceptable performance for a Top 5 Derby contender because the come-home time was fairly strong and the trip the winner had is a tougher one at Fairgrounds (probably the most inside friendly dirt track in the entire country meet in and meet out over the last couple years) than at other tracks.

However...he's going to have to run a whole lot better than that to get a blanket of roses ... and Pletcher 3yo's who start early in Florida and move-up are lucky to be holding form by May...let alone breaking through it. Also, the sire of this horse raced just six times and gets a lot of unsound horses .. the dam only raced once ... as last year showed so glaringly, health is more important than anything with these young and underraced horses who appear more and more fragile as a group all the time.