Certain unexpected wins prove more astonishing than others. Villanova’s triumph over Georgetown in the 1985 NCAA men’s basketball National Championship was nearly beyond imagination, whereas the Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl LII success against the New England Patriots in February 2018 evoked more of a surprised reaction.
The 2013 Risen Star Stakes unquestionably fits into the former classification.
Ive Struck a Nerve arrived at the $400,000 Risen Star Stakes on February 23, 2013, at Fair Grounds, having secured just a single win in eight attempts. He had previously contested stakes races on four occasions, demonstrating some potential with his top performance being a runner-up spot in the Sugar Bowl Stakes, a six-furlong dash contested two months prior. This Yankee Gentleman colt, under the guidance of trainer Keith Desormeaux for Matt Bryan’s Big Chief Racing, came into the Risen Star following a fourth-place result at Fair Grounds in the Lecomte Stakes, where he finished 13 ½ lengths behind at odds of 33.90-1.
Nevertheless, those most intimately involved with Ive Struck a Nerve had maintained their belief.
“Each time this thoroughbred has attempted a longer race, he’s encountered difficulties,” Desormeaux conveyed to BloodHorse post-race. “Matt and I discussed on numerous occasions that our desire was simply for an unobstructed run over a distance, and if he were to lose by another 14 lengths, we were ready to cease our efforts.”
Ive Struck a Nerve did not suffer another 14-length defeat. On the contrary, he orchestrated one of the century’s most significant upsets, validating his team’s confidence with astonishing 135.20-1 odds.
Positioning himself at the back of the 12-horse field and wide during the initial stages with jockey James Graham, Ive Struck a Nerve accelerated six wide into the homestretch, concluding with a powerful, continuous drive to narrowly defeat second-place Code West by a nose in a close four-horse contest. Beyond achieving this monumental upset, Ive Struck a Nerve triumphed over a remarkably strong lineup in the Risen Star: the horse that finished third, Palace Malice, later claimed victory in the Belmont Stakes, and the fourth-place finisher, Oxbow, secured the Preakness title that same year.
This victory was the kind that brought forth tears of happiness from its proprietor.
“For the remainder of my days, I will continuously recount this specific race,” Bryan declared to BloodHorse directly after the event. “We had been anticipating an unhindered journey for this horse, and today we finally witnessed it. The moment he gained open space on the outer lane, we reacted with extreme excitement.”
Regrettably, the Risen Star proved to be Ive Struck a Nerve’s ultimate competitive appearance. A fractured ankle removed him from contention for the Louisiana Derby and ended his journey on the 2013 Kentucky Derby path. Ive Struck a Nerve served for one breeding season, producing three foals in that cohort, none of whom became winners; he was later gelded, yet his name remains permanently inscribed in the annals of horse racing. On February 23, 2013, Ive Struck a Nerve genuinely astonished onlookers – perhaps a minor overstatement – in the Risen Star Stakes, delivering one of the sport’s most unimaginable surprises.
