Local Hero latest hot prospect for e Five Racing

The e Five Racing Thoroughbreds of Bob and Kristine Edwards had a memorable first year at the races, winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf with New Money Honey, who was among the 10 yearlings e Five and bloodstock agent Mike Ryan bought in 2015. Now e Five has also come up with a promising 3-year-old dirt horse, Local Hero, who stormed to a maiden special weight victory last week at Fair Grounds for trainer Steve Asmussen.

Local Hero, by Hard Spun and out of Liam’s Dream, by Saint Liam, was purchased for $500,000 at a sale of 2-year-olds in training last March. He ran twice in the fall, finishing second in seven-furlong maiden races at Keeneland and Churchill Downs, and scored a blowout win Jan. 26 at Fair Grounds while making his two-turn and 3-year-old debut. Local Hero led on a fast pace for jockey Florent Geroux, ran a mile and 70 yards in a strong 1:42.49 while geared down late, and got an 89 Beyer Speed Figure.

“We’re excited. My wife and I went down to Fair Grounds to see him run, and he looked unbelievable in the paddock,” Bob Edwards said this week. “Steve did an excellent job of prepping the horse. Florent said afterward he still had plenty of horse. He came out of the race 100 percent.”

Edwards, who is in the pharmaceutical business, said his Thoroughbred experience prior to 2015 had consisted of nothing deeper than “sitting on a cooler drinking a beer at Saratoga.” He said e Five, which also owns the high-class turf mare Zindaya, has experienced its share of setbacks with young horses, but the stable already has a Breeders’ Cup win along with Grade 2, Grade 3, and listed stakes wins.

“We’ve had tremendous beginner’s luck,” said Edwards.

Whether Local Hero will have a chance to become e Five’s latest stakes winner in his next start or takes a more conservative path will be left up to Asmussen, Edwards said.

Asmussen confirmed that the Risen Star on Feb. 25 at Fair Grounds is under consideration, but Asmussen is still in the process of sorting out his top 3-year-old colts. Also stabled at Fair Grounds are Untrapped, who was a good second in the Lecomte Stakes while making his 3-year-old and two-turn debut, and Lookin At Lee, who has not raced since finishing a solid fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. At Oaklawn, Asmussen has the promising Hence.