Rise Up, Grand Contender well following La Derby Preview
Day runs
Rise Up, seventh in last Saturday’s Grade
2 Risen Star, and Grand Contender, runner-up in the Grade
3 Mineshaft Handicap, both came out of their respective efforts on Louisiana
Derby Preview Day in good order, according to trainer Tom Amoss.
The
conditioner has not decided on definite future plans for either one of those two
stakes campaigners.
“Rise Up came out of the Risen Star in good shape, but we didn’t learn a lot about
him because he didn’t break well,” Amoss said. “His race was over as soon as he left the gate.
“I have no idea why he didn’t break well, but now we’re kind of painted into
a corner with him. We’ll look around to see
what kind of stakes we might find for him. The (Grade 2, $1 million) Louisiana Derby
(on March 29) is
certainly a possibility for his next start, but it’s not the only race we’ll be
looking at.”
Rise Up was making his first start in the Risen Star since romping by six
lengths in the Grade 3 Delta Downs Jackpot last November.
“As for Grand Contender, we think a mile and a sixteenth might be just a
little bit farther than he wants to go, so there will be no (Grade 2, $400,000) New
Orleans Handicap (on the Louisiana Derby program) for him,” Amoss said of his
six-year-old Strong Contender gelding. “We’ll look around for something shorter
for his next start.”
Grand Contender, a one-mile stakes winner on the Delta Downs Jackpot
undercard, was making his graded bow in the Mineshaft and is now 1-2-0 from four
starts against stakes company.
Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com