Fair Grounds: Vicar’s in Trouble eyes Risen Star Stakes after Lecomte score

Vicar’s in Trouble came out of his romping victory Saturday in the Grade 3, $200,000 Lecomte Stakes in good condition, and if all continues to go well, he will make his next start Feb. 22 in the Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds, trainer Mike Maker said Sunday.

Vicar’s in Trouble, a Louisiana-bred by Into Mischief owned by Ken and Sarah Ramsey, overcame significant obstacles to ace his test in the Lecomte. The colt was making his first start around two turns, his first against winners, and was jumping from a Louisiana-bred maiden sprint win to a graded stakes race in just the third start of his career.

And it’s not like Vicar’s in Trouble eked out a narrow victory: He took control of the Lecomte at the top of the stretch and ran on to a 6 3/4-length victory, his raw time of 1:42.57 for one mile and 70 yards producing a Beyer Speed Figure of 97, one point lower than Vicar’s in Trouble’s maiden-sprint figure.

“It didn’t really surprise me,” Maker said. “He ran to our expectations. We liked him, felt pretty confident in our chances. If everything goes well, we’ll go Risen Star–Louisiana Derby with him.”

Vicar’s in Trouble led on a fast pace when he won over six furlongs in December, but on Saturday, he rated comfortably enough in second for Rosie Napravnik as Roman Unbridled set the pace. Vicar’s in Trouble failed to keep a straight course once he made the lead, and he changed leads in deep stretch. Those mistakes can be corrected, and if they are, Vicar’s in Trouble could still have room to grow.

“It was only his third start. He ran a bit green, but he was able to get the job done,” Maker said. “He sat off the pace, no problems.”

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

Vicar’s in Trouble is likely to meet the Lecomte second- and third-place finishers, Albano and Gold Hawk, in the Risen Star.

“He came out of it well, and we have no reason not to move forward with him,” said Albano’s trainer, Larry Jones. “It was his first start running two turns, and we were able to handle [Gold Hawk] pretty well. In the next four, five days, we’ll be putting up that $600 Triple Crown nomination payment.”

Gold Hawk, making his stakes debut, was heavily favored for much of the Lecomte betting, though major late action on Vicar’s in Trouble made Gold Hawk a narrow 13-10 favorite at post time. Swinging back into action just 22 days after a strong rallying two-turn allowance win, Gold Hawk tracked the pace and had aim at the leaders at the top of the homestretch, but he could not quicken with the winner and was outfinished for second by Albano.

Trainer Steve Asmussen, however, remained upbeat Sunday about Gold Hawk’s future and said he planned to run the Empire Maker colt back in the Risen Star.

“I’m disappointed that he lost but think he’ll move forward from the race in a big way,” Asmussen said. “He came out of it in great shape. I still think he’s a nice horse.”

Unbridled Forever could await Fair Grounds Oaks

Unbridled Forever, making her first two-turn start and jumping from a maiden win to a stakes race, didn’t build the huge win margin in the Silverbulletday that Vicar’s in Trouble did in the Lecomte, but she was impressive in her own right, rating beautifully for Robby Albarado in third for most of the trip.

And Unbridled Forever, a daughter of Kentucky Oaks winner Lemons Forever, showed the mark of an elite horse, making two moves to finish off a talented foe in runner-up Divine Beauty: She quickened into contention at the five-sixteenths pole when asked for run by Albarado, then put away Divine Beauty with a second surge in midstretch. Unbridled Forever ran one mile and 70 yards in 1:43.03 and got a 93 Beyer.

Trainer Dallas Stewart, who couldn’t be reached by phone Sunday, told Fair Grounds publicity officials that Unbridled Forever was likely to pass the Rachel Alexandra Stakes and await the Fair Grounds Oaks on March 29.

“That’s the preliminary plan right now,” Stewart said. “There are a lot of good races for 3-year-old fillies later in the spring, and there’s no reason to ask her to do too much right now.”

Divine Beauty, who set the Silverbulletday pace and held well for second, beaten 1 1/2 lengths, is likely to run back in the Feb. 22 Rachel Alexandra, trainer Jones said.

“I had a lot of respect for Dallas’s horse going into the race,” Jones said. “Our filly got a little tired. We changed our training just a little bit with her – I would’ve loved to have gotten one more five-eighths into her – but we thought we went into the race plenty good. We may have just got outrun, but I think we have a quality filly. We’re still three months away from the prime target [the Kentucky Oaks].”

Tapiture to Southwest at Oaklawn

With Asmussen penciling Gold Hawk in for the Risen Star, Kentucky Jockey Club winner Tapiture will be shipped to Oaklawn Park to make his 3-year-old debut in the Feb. 17 Southwest Stakes, Asmussen said Sunday.

Tapiture has logged four works since settling in at Fair Grounds in early December and was scheduled to breeze again Monday. Asmussen said he preferred to ship Tapiture to Oaklawn in time to breeze over the track there before the Southwest, though that plan could be subject to change if the weather in Arkansas is poor.

Unknown Road in Friday allowance race

Unknown Road, among the most promising 3-year-olds stabled in New Orleans, will make his two-turn debut Friday in a first-level allowance race. The race, carded as the fifth, drew six entrants, and Unknown Road, who won a maiden sprint Jan. 17 by almost 12 lengths, will be heavily favored for trainer Al Stall.