Fair Grounds: Rise Up to employ simple strategy for Louisiana Derby

Trainer Tom Amoss is making no secret of the tactics Rise Up will employ when he starts Saturday in the Louisiana Derby. Rise Up is going to the front and taking the Louisiana Derby field as far as he can.

“My instructions are going to be, ‘Damn the torpedoes,’ ” Amoss said Monday morning.

Rise Up had his final work for the $1 million Louisiana Derby on Saturday, going a half-mile in 47.40 seconds, the second-fastest of 68 works at the distance that morning. That drill followed a bullet five-furlong move in 1:00 on March 11, and both works were performed in blinkers, which Rise Up will wear for the first time in a race on Saturday.

[ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY: Prep races, point standings, replays]

The jury still is out concerning Rise Up’s position in the 3-year-old route division. Rise Up, purchased privately last summer, finished sixth in the Iroquois last September at Churchill before making hay at Delta Downs, where he easily won the $200,000 Jean Lafitte at a mile and then led all the way to score a blowout victory in the $1 million Delta Downs Jackpot at 1 1/16 miles.

Delta is a funky little track, beloved by certain horses and detested by others, and any real chance to evaluate Rise Up on a full-sized oval against better competition in the Feb. 22 Risen Star vanished when Rise Up totally blew the start. Rise Up raced rank while rushing into contention, never found the lead, and faded to seventh. This time around, Amoss wants to make sure Rise Up has a chance to utilize his best asset, speed.

“I think you could say his training program has been geared toward showing speed,” said Amoss, adding that Rise Up normally is a good gate horse. “We’re pretty confident that was a one-time thing, the way he broke. He just happened to step back when the gate sprung. It was nobody’s fault.”

Gerard Melancon, aboard Rise Up in his last three races, has a return call, Amoss said.

Amoss will be hoping for an inside draw when the Louisiana Derby and the rest of Saturday’s card is drawn Wednesday. Intense Holiday, the Risen Star winner, heads the prospective field for the race, which is expected to include the second-, third-, fifth,- and sixth-place Risen Star finishers – Albano, Vicar’s In Trouble, Gold Hawk, and Commanding Curve – as well as Louies Flower, another potential front-runner.

Stakes workers

The major Monday works for Saturday stakes races at Fair Grounds were a study in contrast. Having done their major work one week ago, Untapable, who will be favored to win the Fair Grounds Oaks, and Gold Hawk, a Louisiana Derby hopeful, both worked easy half-miles, Untapable in 50.20 seconds, Gold Hawk in 50.60.

Meanwhile, Albano, the Risen Star runner-up, went five furlongs in a swift 59.20 seconds, the fastest work among six at the distance Monday. Albano worked five furlongs in 59.60 seconds one week ago and appears to be coming into the Louisiana Derby at the top of his game.