Modernist likely for Louisiana Derby; Mr. Monomoy could go elsewhere

NEW ORLEANS – Modernist, the horse that shipped to Fair Grounds from Florida to win the second division of the Risen Star Stakes on Saturday, is scheduled to return to New Orleans for the $1 million Louisiana Derby on March 28. But Fair Grounds-based Mr. Monomoy, who won the first division of the Risen Star, is less certain to make his next start in the Louisiana Derby.

Mr. Monomoy, leading from start to finish under Florent Geroux, ran 1 1/8-miles in 1:50.43, .85 seconds faster than Modernist’s winning time of 1:51.28 one race later. Mr. Monomoy’s raw time yielded a 92 Beyer Speed Figure, a career best, while Modernist got an 84, also the best of his career.

Brad Cox, who trains Mr. Monomoy, called his colt’s performance “a hard race” but said Mr. Monomoy looked good Sunday morning. Mr. Monomoy earned 50 qualifying points toward the Kentucky Derby, surely enough to get him into the 20-horse field, and Cox said Mr. Monomoy would race once more before the Derby. That start will likely come in the Louisiana Derby, over 1 3/16 miles, or in the 1 1/8-mile Blue Grass on April 4 at Keeneland.

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“Do you want the extra time between now and his next race or between the next race and the Derby?” Cox said Sunday. “We’ll talk it over with everyone and make a decision.”

Mr. Monomoy’s half-sister, Monomoy Girl, won the 2018 Kentucky Oaks. Mr. Monomoy came into Saturday’s race following a second-place finish in a December allowance race and a third in the Lecomte Stakes here Jan. 18, where he was the only horse around at the finish who raced close to a strong pace. His Risen Star tempo was more measured, and Mr. Monomoy basically went a steady 12-seconds -per-furlong pace all the way around the racetrack while winning by three lengths.

Modernist also exited his Saturday start in good shape, trainer Bill Mott said, and was scheduled to fly back to Florida on Monday. All being well, he’ll return for the Louisiana Derby, a race Mott had in mind when he picked out the Risen Star for Modernist’s first start following a third-out maiden win over 1 1/8 miles at Aqueduct on Jan. 24.

“The timing was a bit of a rush since he just ran three weeks ago, but we felt like he needed to be in this race,” Mott said.

The longer the distance the better for Modernist, a son of Uncle Mo, whose strongest asset, his trainer said, might be his stamina. Modernist broke alertly under Junior Alvarado on Saturday, raced inside pace-setting Ny Traffic much of the trip, and pulled clear from the three-sixteenths pole to the finish.

“He’s started to act like a really nice horse. Since he ran the first time he’s progressed very well. He’s become more mature instead of acting like a coltish 2-year-old,” said Mott, who sent Country House to a second-place Risen Star finish in 2019. Country House crossed the wire second in the Kentucky Derby but was placed first when Maximum Security was disqualified.

Enforceable beat Mr. Monomoy when he won the Lecomte Stakes, but his steady rally Saturday only carried him to second in the Risen Star’s first division. Trainer Mark Casse said Sunday that Enforceable would run back in the Louisiana Derby. Enforceable broke slowly in the Risen Star, which is typical for him, and better gate habits could help him obtain more favorable early position. Casse also plans to have a second Louisiana Derby starter in Lynn’s Map, who was a sneakily decent sixth in the second division.

Silver State, third in the first division, is a likely Louisiana Derby runner, trainer Steve Asmussen said. Silver State raced too aggressively during the early and middle stages of the race, his trainer believes, which probably compromised his finish. He was beaten a half-length for second by Enforceable.

Major Fed, making just his third career start, rallied from fifth to finish second in the second division and is slated for the Louisiana Derby, trainer Greg Foley said.

The Louisiana Derby is capped at 14 runners.

Easily the most disappointing horse in either Risen Star division was Anneau d’Or, who finished ninth as the even-money favorite in the second division. Anneau d’Or got in a mild scrum before the first turn but secured decent position, only to come up empty at the half-mile pole. Blaine Wright, his trainer, found nothing amiss with Anneau d’Or on Saturday night or Sunday morning and said he had no ready excuse for the performance, Anneau d’Or’s first racing in blinkers. Anneau d’Or finished a close second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and in the Los Alamitos Futurity, and was making his first start as a 3-year-old. He’ll return to Wright’s base at Golden Gate Fields and remains a likely starter in the Santa Anita Derby, Wright said.