Mott sending Modernist to Risen Star

Trainer Bill Mott confirmed Friday he’s sending the 3-year-old colt Modernist from New York to Fair Grounds to start Feb. 15 in the Risen Star Stakes.

Mott was asked if Modernist bore any similarities to Country House, who finished second in the 2019 Risen Star before going on to become Mott’s first Kentucky Derby winner, awarded the victory when Churchill Downs stewards disqualified Maximum Security.

“Look at their past performances,” Mott replied.

Country House: Debut in early October of his 2-year-old season, then a race in early December, a third-start maiden-route win, and on to the Risen Star.

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Modernist: Debut at the end of September, then a race in early December, a third-start maiden-route win, and on to the Risen Star.

“It looks pretty similar, doesn’t it, the dates and everything?” he said. “We’ve been down that road once before already.”

A Pam and Marty Wygod homebred by Uncle Mo out of Symbolic Gesture, by Bernardini, Modernist just got a taste of racing in his six-furlong debut, the ran slightly spotty in a one-turn mile second time out, though he leveled off nicely through the final three-sixteenths and quickly galloped out in front. Mott stretched him to a two-turn nine-furlong trip (same as the Risen Star) on Jan. 25 and Modernist went to the front and won easily.

“He’s an improving horse,” Mott said. “I guess we’ve got to get him with a new group and see what we got, see if we belong.”

Mott also will send 3-year-old Moon Over Miami to the Risen Star provided Fair Grounds splits the race into two divisions, which seemed likely as of Friday. The Risen Star and the rest of the Feb. 15 card was to be drawn Saturday. Moon Over Miami was a sharp second-out maiden winner in New York but more recently disappointed in a first-level allowance at Gulfstream.

“We’re considering turf with him, but this time of year, we need to see one more race on dirt from him since he ran so well in New York,” said Mott.

Fair Grounds racing officials as of Friday had a list of 23 horses expected to be entered in the Risen Star provided the race is split into two divisions. If the race splits, both sections will carry the advertised $400,000 purse and offer 85 Kentucky Derby qualifying points divided 50-20-10-5 among the first four finishers. A Fair Grounds news release Thursday quoted racing secretary Scott Jones saying if there were 20 solid entrants Saturday morning the race was likely to be split.

The best-known of the expected runners is Anneau d’Or, who will ship from California for trainer Blaine Wright to make his 3-year-old debut after ending his 2-year-old season with tough second-place finishes in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and the Los Alamitos Futurity. The other expected entrants, in order of earnings, are Enforceable, Liam’s Lucky Charm, Scabbard, Blackberry Wine, New York Traffic (provided the race splits), Silver State, Lynn’s Map, Finnick the Fierce, Mr. Monomoy, Excession, Mailman Money, Fame to Famous, Ready to Roll, Digital, Perfect Revenge, Mr. Big News, Shashashakemeup, Major Fed, and Farmington Road.

That list could grow even larger if a first-level allowance race for 3-year-olds scheduled for Feb. 15 fails to fill, as racing officials suspected might the case as of Friday.