Rise Up, Grand Contender well following La Derby Preview Day runs

Rise Up’s next start is still up in the air (Delta Downs/Coady Photography)

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.