On February 14 at Fair Grounds, Paladin secured victory in the $495,000 Grade 2 Fasig-Tipton Risen Star Stakes, overcoming front-runner Chip Honcho by half a length. This performance reinforced the view held by many that he is a prominent candidate for the Kentucky Derby, scheduled for May 2 and sponsored by Woodford Reserve.
This triumph awarded Paladin 50 eligibility points for the Kentucky Derby, propelling him to the summit of the Derby standings with a total of 60 points. This total incorporates 10 points acquired from his initial stakes win in the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct last autumn. Achieved in a swift 1:49.14 over 1 1/8 miles, this victory is also anticipated to significantly reduce his odds in the Kentucky Derby Future Wager, which concludes on February 15. The chestnut colt, progeny of Gun Runner, is expected to be one of the lowest-priced individual favorites in the betting market.
Trainer Chad Brown commented, “The colt delivered an impressive showing after a period of rest, affirming our decision to enter him in this event. He required the full length of the straightaway to achieve his win.”
Chip Honcho, the victor of the Gun Runner Stakes, raced comfortably at the forefront, setting unchallenged fractions of :23.68, :47.49, and 1:11.53. With blinkers removed, jockey Luis Saez guided him smoothly in the lead. Despite delivering his finest performance to date, it proved insufficient. Paladin, ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, made his challenge from the outside, relentlessly chasing Chip Honcho and gradually overtaking him in the final sixteenth of a mile as they approached the conclusion of the lengthy Fair Grounds straight.
Gaffalione remarked about Paladin, “When asked for more, he consistently digs deeper, progressively improving as the distance extends.”
In a post-race phone conversation, Brown, who was absent from the Fair Grounds venue, described Gaffalione’s riding as “impeccable.” When questioned about whether Gaffalione would continue as the jockey or if Flavien Prat, who rode the colt in his initial two wins, would return, Brown stated, “No definitive decision has been made in either regard.”
The previous Saturday, Prat was competing in Saudi Arabia, achieving a victory in the $2 million Riyadh Dirt Sprint while riding Imagination, and also guiding Nysos to a second-place finish in the $20 million Saudi Cup.
Chip Honcho, under the training of Steve Asmussen, secured 25 points for his second-place performance, advancing him to the second position on the Kentucky Derby standings with a cumulative total of 39 points.
Saez remarked, “He exerted speed to reach the front, but I positioned him exactly where I intended. He simply showed some fatigue towards the end. I believe he has the potential to become a truly excellent racehorse.”
Golden Tempo, who previously triumphed in the Grade 3 Lecomte Stakes, made a delayed surge but could only manage a distant third in the Risen Star. This earned him an additional 15 points, bringing his overall leaderboard total to 35 points.
Universe, finishing in fourth place, accumulated 10 points, increasing his total to 23. Carson Street, in fifth, gained five points, now possessing 11 points.
The Risen Star represented the initial 105-point qualifying event within the Road to the Kentucky Derby sequence. Subsequent domestic preparatory races later this winter or spring will carry an equal or greater point value. Management at Churchill Downs, the venue for the Kentucky Derby, utilizes these qualification points both to publicize the Derby and as a prioritization method when the event attracts a field exceeding its 20-horse capacity.
Brown, Gaffalione, and a significant portion of the colt’s ownership syndicate collectively secured the Risen Star victory for the second occasion in three years. In 2024, their success came with Sierra Leone, who subsequently claimed the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, ultimately finishing a narrow second in the 2024 Kentucky Derby, edged out by a nose by Mystik Dan in a three-way photo finish that also included Japanese contender Forever Young.
From the winner’s enclosure, Brook Smith, a co-owner of Paladin alongside Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Peter Brant, and breeder Summer Wind Equine, commented, “You could potentially find us in Kentucky during April,” hinting that the Grade 1 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes on April 4 might be the horse’s next engagement.
Brown subsequently affirmed that the Blue Grass Stakes is Paladin’s upcoming objective.
