Horse Racing Fantasy Community

Aaron Gryder Says:

The Grade 2 $300,000 Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds at 1-1/16 miles on Saturday features the return of Rogue Romance who finished a distant third in the Breeders Cup Juvenile last year. This son of Smarty Jones must deal with the layoff and may need his absolute best to win top honors here. One of his chief rivals is Decisive Moment who most recently won the non-graded $250,000 Jean Lafitt at Delta Downs wire to wire. He is the one they will have to run down to win. Pants On Fire is another front-runner who finished a good second in the G3 LeComte last month and though he is light on speed figures, he does have the experience of having run well over the Fair Grounds surface. Mucho Macho Man disappointed as the favorite in the G3 Holy Bull last month at Gulfstream, but he ran a really strong race in the G2 Remsen at Aqueduct last fall - a return to that performance makes him very dangerous. Machen is making only his third career start and has won both his races, a maiden and an allowance and won easily - there is no telling how good this one really is. Santiva won the G2 Kentucky Jockey Club last year with a light speed figure. Action Ready and Justin Phillip were soundly beaten in the LeComte by Pants On Fire and have a lot of improvement to do if they are going to win here. Sorgho and Liondrive are big long-shots and either would be a surprise.