Modernist shakes clear to capture second division of Risen Star

NEW ORLEANS – Bill Mott is back on the Kentucky Derby trail.

In fact, Mott is in the Derby provided Modernist can remain healthy and retain his form between now and the first Saturday in May. The 50 Kentucky Derby qualifying points Modernist earned winning the second division of the Grade 2, $400,000 Risen Star Stakes on Saturday at Fair Grounds figure to be plenty to make the 20-horse Derby field.

Modernist, always prominent after breaking from post 1 under Junior Alvarado, turned back a few challenges to post a one-length victory over Major Fed. Both horses were exiting last-start maiden wins, Modernist making his fourth career start, Major Fed – who got 20 Derby qualifying points – just his second. Ny Traffic, who raced alongside Modernist on the pace, finished third, a neck behind Major Fed, which earned him 10 points. He was followed closely in fourth by Mailman Money, who got 5 Derby points.

As the 12-1 sixth choice, Modernist paid $27.60.

:: DERBY WATCH: Top 20 Kentucky Derby contenders with comments from Jay Privman and Marty McGee

Anneau d’Or, the even-money favorite in his 3-year-old debut after ending his 2-year-old season with close second-place finishes in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and the Los Alamitos Futurity, had good position around the first turn but began struggling at the half-mile pole. He offered no fight and faded to finish ninth.

“I don’t know,” said jockey Joel Rosario. “It just wasn’t his day.”

Liam’s Lucky Charm, who wound up 10th, popped the doors on his starting gate stall before the race began and tried to begin racing before being wrangled in, corralled, and reloaded. Excession, who wound up eighth, also broke through the gate and though he didn’t get anywhere he, too, had to be reloaded.

The Mott-trained Country House, who was officially retired to stud just this week, finished second in the Risen Star a year ago and went on to win the Kentucky Derby, but only after Maximum Security, who ran easily the best race in the Derby, was disqualified from first.

“I really would like to win the Derby and have my horse finish in front,” Mott said in the winner’s circle.

Bred and owned by Marty and Pam Wygod, Modernist is a robust son of Uncle Mo and Symbolic Gesture, by Bernardini. He’s the first foal to race from Symbolic Gesture, who didn’t make a start but is a sister to former stars Sweet Catomine and Life Is Sweet. Modernist debuted finishing fifth in a six-furlong Belmont maiden race, improved second out to be third Dec. 7 in a one-turn Aqueduct mile, and won a 1 1/8-mile maiden race Jan. 24 at Aqueduct while racing on the lead. Mott brought him to Florida following that start and decided to bypass allowance competition and take a swing in the Risen Star.

“His [speed] figures looked as good as the majority of them in there. The progression was pretty good, and he held up well enough for me to think we should take a shot. He was training well, came out of the New York race looking great. I thought if there was any shot of running in the Derby, he had to run in here today to find out where we were,” Mott said.

Ny Traffic came close to clearing Modernist around the first turn and taking the lead and the rail, but jockey Alvarado held his position. Ny Traffic led through a quarter-mile in 24.38 seconds, run into a headwind that had diminished from its peak afternoon strength, and a half in a moderate 48.57, the second quarter with a tailwind. The two leaders ran as a team around the far turn and were joined past the three-furlong pole by Mailman Money, who had been cleverly guided to the fence by jockey Gabe Saez before coming three paths wide with his bid. The trio stacked up on nearly even terms at the quarter pole, but Modernist was doing the best work, edging clear by the furlong grounds and comfortably holding off a four-wide bid from Major Fed, who had stalked the pace from fifth.

Winning time for the 1 1/8 miles on a fast track was 1:51.28, while the first division of the Risen Star, won by Mr. Monomoy, went in 1:50.43.

Major Fed, who was looking around at the lights, jockey Julien Leparoux told trainer Greg Foley, ran a bit green and performed promisingly in just his second route race. He’ll come back for the March 21 Louisiana Derby over 1 3/16 miles, as will Modernist, who flies back to Florida on Monday.

“He was a gem in the paddock today,” Mott said. “He walked over here like a professional. He really handled himself well, and the disposition becomes so important in these races.”

Country House, for instance, could be a difficult horse to handle. Now Mott, who took literally decades to win his first Kentucky Derby, could be headed back to Louisville with a horse who at least acts better than his first Derby winner.