Two arrive for Risen Star

NEW ORLEANS - The plane from south Florida arrived Wednesday morning in New Orleans, and yes, two entrants for the Risen Star at Fair Grounds were on it.

The connections of both Drosselmeyer and Tempted to Tapit had left the door open to staying home for Saturday's Fountain of Youth Stakes, but both colts in the end shipped for the Risen Star.

Drosselmeyer is the more accomplished of the two, having cleared his first allowance condition in a nine-furlong race Jan. 31 at Gulfstream. But Tempted to Tapit could prove to be more than an early pace factor in the Risen Star, trainer Steve Klesaris believes. Tempted to Tapit has won only a maiden race from four starts, romping while on the lead in an Aqueduct inner-dirt mile on Jan. 18.

"In his second maiden race he faced the runner-up in the Sam Davis [Schoolyard Dreams], and in the third start of his life he was runner-up to the horse who came back and won the Count Fleet," Klesaris said, referring to Laus Deo. "He's already faced decent company. This race looks like a two-other-than allowance. There are potentially good horses, lightly raced. I think his maiden race was good enough to give him a shot."