Risen Star next in line for War of Will
Though barely 12 hours earlier he had run the best race of his career in winning the Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds by four lengths, War of Will on Sunday morning still had plenty of will to return to war, from all reports.
“He acts like he didn’t even really run,” trainer Mark Casse said Sunday after departing New Orleans for Florida, where he spends most of the winter.
Run War of Will did, carrying Tyler Gaffalione to a rousing victory while making his 3-year-old debut and first start since Nov. 24. War of Will set out on the Triple Crown trail after sharply winning a maiden race at Churchill Downs in his 2-year-old finale and dirt debut. And yes, the Lecomte is an early-season race, but the way War of Will won Saturday, he now is solidly on the path toward the Kentucky Derby.
Casse already isn’t shy about uttering those magic words – “Kentucky Derby” – and War of Will earned 10 Derby qualifying points winning the Lecomte, plus got an encouraging 94 Beyer Speed Figure for running one mile and 70 yards in 1:43.44.
Having seen how well War of Will weathered the Lecomte, Casse said the colt will start next Feb. 16 at Fair Grounds in the Risen Star Stakes. Five weeks later, on March 23, comes the $1 million Louisiana Derby. The Risen Star is 1 1/16 miles and the Louisiana Derby is 1 1/8 miles, but War of Will’s turf-slanted pedigree is loaded with stamina influences and even a race like the 1 1/2-mile Belmont could be in his range, should War of Will prove to be of that class.
“What I didn’t notice right away was his gallop-out yesterday, which was really strong,” Casse said.
Assistant trainer David Carroll oversees the day-to-day operation of Casse’s string in New Orleans and wasn’t especially surprised that War of Will, a War Front colt owned by Gary Barber, had performed so well.
“He ran to his works and his gallops,” said Carroll. “He’s an impressive horse to watch train.”
