Mo Town to make 3-year-old debut in Risen Star Stakes

Trainer Tony Dutrow on Monday said that Mo Town, the winner of the Remsen Stakes in his final start at age 2, will make his first start at age 3 in the Grade 2, $400,000 Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds on Feb. 25.

Mo Town also had been under consideration for the Grade 3, $300,000 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct on March 4. But Dutrow said the long-range weather forecast for New Orleans on Feb. 25, combined with the way Mo Town has progressed this winter at the Payson Park training facility in Florida, has made him eager to get going sooner rather than later.

“The horse is doing excellent, and the weather looks good for the 25th. The horse is ready to run, so I won’t pass that up,” Dutrow said.

Dutrow said he’d reconsider “if he got the 12 hole, that kind of thing,” but otherwise, he’s committed to go to New Orleans. He said Mo Town will be on a Tex Sutton flight scheduled to go from Florida to New Orleans on Feb. 21.

John Velazquez has the mount, Dutrow said.

The Risen Star, at 1 1/16 miles, is the first race of the spring that offers 50 qualifying points to the winner under the system used by Churchill Downs to determine the field for the May 6 Kentucky Derby.