Revolutionary Wins Louisiana Derby

Ive Struck a Nerve is Louisiana Derby bound
Published: February 25, 2013

By Sports Network — The Sports Network
Risen Star Stakes winner Ive Struck a Nerve will make his next start in the $1 million Louisiana Derby on March 30 at Fair Grounds. The 3-year-old is trained by Keith Desormeaux for owner Mark Bryan."We'd be crazy not to run in the Louisiana Derby," said Desormeaux. "Plus, we have to represent the home team."I suppose, like a lot of modern horsemen, I could buy into the theory that fresh is better, and try to train my horse up to the Kentucky Derby off of his race yesterday (Saturday), but that's not my style. My horse is fit, and it's a lot easier to train an athlete that is fit."Ive Struck a Nerve won the Risen Star as a 135-1 longshot even though he finished fourth to Oxbow (fourth in Risen Star) in the Lecomte Stakes in New Orleans."Every time this horse has gone a distance he's had some kind of trouble," the trainer said after the win. "We have talked about it several times, Matt Bryan and I, and we just wanted a clean trip at a distance and if he got beat 14- lengths again we'd quit trying but we have had trouble every trip and James (jockey James Graham) rode him perfectly and obviously he proved what Matt and I knew that he is a nice horse."Part of the "Road to the Kentucky Derby" series, winning the Risen Star was worth 50 points toward the 3-year-old starting on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs."My horse came back from his race just fine," Desormeaux said Sunday, "and ate up everything last night and this morning. He keeps good weight on him, and he's heavy-boned."We're having fun with this horse. We went out to dinner last night, talked about the future and had a lot of laughs."Ive Struck a Nerve notched his second career victory and first in a stakes. The Risen Star win was worth $240,000 to bring the 3-year-old's earnings to $305,790 in nine starts."I called my wife and told her to get fitted for a Derby hat. As long as I live I will re-live this race over and over. We have been waiting for a clean trip and we got it today. Once he got free on the outside we went absolutely crazy," Matt Bryan commented following the Risen Star. "There is no doubt we will try the Louisiana Derby. Then, who doesn't want to go to Louisville, right? That's why we all get in this crazy business." Copyright 2013 . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Read more here: www.macon.com/2013/02/25/2370544/ive-struck-a-nerve-is-louisiana.html#storylink=cpy

02/26/2013
Fair Grounds notes: Sunbean aims for Louisiana Derby
By Marcus Hersh

Al Stall entered two horses in the Risen Star Stakes but ran neither of them after Departing and Sunbean drew the outside posts in a field that originally numbered 15.

Departing remains on track to start Saturday at Sam Houston Race Park in the $50,000 Texas Heritage Stakes, but Sunbean could be in line for a Louisiana Derby run after another good-looking two-turn victory on Saturday’s card.

Scratched from the Risen Star, Sunbean raced instead against fellow Louisiana-breds in an off-turf edition of the Gentilly Stakes and won by almost five lengths. His final time of 1:42.76 was the fastest recorded at one mile and 70 yards this season at Fair Grounds, producing a Beyer Speed Figure of 88 that, if anything, felt a little low.

Sunbean lost by a nostril sprinting in his career debut but has since won three races in a row, the last two going two turns.

“He’s a nice horse,” said Stall, who trains Sunbean for owner-breeder Brittlyn Stables. “I don’t know what times mean, but he ran fast and he came out of it good. We’re going to point to the Louisiana Derby unless the same scenario happens as in the Risen Star.”

Sunbean got stuck on the Risen Star also-eligible list because his statebred-restricted starts automatically put him at the back of the line, according to qualifying criteria for the race. Since Sunbean still hasn’t run in open company, he would face a similar scenario were the Louisiana Derby to overfill.

Sunbean, by Brahms, is out of a mare named X Strawdnair, who has produced a series of talented performers who have excelled in sprints. Sunbean has speed too – Stall said that in his second start, a fast-paced sprint win, he earned “a great pace fig” – but has settled nicely and finished straight and strong under jockey Colby Hernandez in his pair of route races.

“He turns off so well,” Stall said. “I’m telling Colby every time to take him back there like that. All that’s been by design.”

Departing is one of four horses Stall will send to Houston late Friday for Saturday stakes races. Also scheduled to travel are Distorted Legacy and Unlatched, who will contest turf stakes, and Bind, who returns to stakes competition after winning his first two starts following a long layoff.

Stakes racing also might be in the near-term plans for the 3-year-old filly Tread, who in her second career start won a maiden sprint Saturday by six lengths, earning a 90 Beyer. Tread will make her next start in a first-level allowance race around one turn, with Stall keeping an eye on the Eight Belles Stakes on May 4 at Churchill.

www.drf.com/news/fair-grounds-notes-sunbean-aims-louisiana-derby

Mylute to get another chance

Mylute, who loomed at the top of the stretch but faded to seventh in the Risen Star, also is likely to start in the Louisiana Derby, trainer Tom Amoss said.

Mylute was making his first start since Dec. 26, when he easily won a two-turn first-level Fair Grounds allowance race.

“Mylute came out of the race in very good shape,” Amoss said. “The way he was trained and the amount of time between races had something to do with him faltering at the end, so we’re going to try one more time with him.”

www.drf.com/news/fair-grounds-notes-sunbean-aims-louisiana-derby

Will they have a Fegasus? LOL

The first-ever Louisiana Derby Infield Festival is March 30, 2013.

WHAT IS IT?

The Louisiana Derby is a $1 million race for top 3-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually on the final Saturday in March. It is a final stop for horses hoping to make their next start in the world’s most famous horse race, the Kentucky Derby, at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., on the first Saturday in May.

This year marks the milestone 100th running of the Louisiana Derby. In celebration of this historic event, Fair Grounds is staging the first-ever Louisiana Derby Infield Festival with a concert by Cowboy Mouth and a food truck festival within the wide-open expanse inside the racing oval (familiar to most locals as the site of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival Presented by Shell).

WHEN IS IT?

The Louisiana Derby and Infield Festival are Saturday March 30, 2013. First post – the first horse race – is at 1 p.m. (all times Central Daylight Time). The Louisiana Derby will be run during the five o’clock hour. The Infield Festival continues all afternoon, with the concert by Cowboy Mouth set for soon after the Louisiana Derby is run, at about 6 p.m.

Ground Transport a live longshot for Louisiana Derby

The rapidly progressing Ground Transport has taken off in recent days as a live longshot for the 100th anniversary edition of the Grade 2, $1 million Louisiana Derby on March 30 at Fair Grounds.

The sophomore son of Big Brown breezed a bullet four furlongs in :47 last Saturday at Fair Grounds on the same morning that Grade 2 Risen Star winner Ive Struck a Nerve traveled that same distance in :48 2/5 before pulling up lame shortly after his move.

Is Ground Transport viable as a longshot for the upcoming Louisiana Derby?

"We like him," said trainer Mike Stidham, speaking outside his barn during training hours Wednesday morning at Fair Grounds. "The horse is doing very well right now and that was a very good work for him the other day. We're pointing for the Louisiana Derby with him."

The "we" Stidham was speaking of originally included a partnership between Jeffery Yingling, Marty Nixon, Frank Calabrese and Marrette Farrell, but Stidham was quick to update the status of that ownership group on Wednesday.

"West Point Thoroughbreds just bought into the ownership for a one-quarter interest," Stidham said. "Originally, we had bought him out of a two-year-olds in training sale last year at Keeneland."

There is a lot of upside to Ground Transport, who has made three starts in his career, all at the Crescent City oval.

In his career debut and only start as a two-year-old on December 22, he was beaten 2 1/4 lengths by Departing, who remains undefeated after winning the Texas Heritage at Sam Houston most recently on March 2.

However, in his next start on January 19, Ground Transport broke his maiden in handy fashion by 1 1/2 lengths then on Louisiana Derby Preview Day, February 23, the Kentucky-bred's three-length win in the first-level allowance ranks was overshadowed by the four graded stakes run on the same afternoon.

Ground Transport will be asked to kick it up a notch once again in the Louisiana Derby, facing not only Departing in a rematch but also a highly regarded group of out-of-state invaders. However, longshots have a recent history of upsetting highly regarded invaders at the Crescent City oval and must once again be considered this time.

Ive Struck a Nerve was scheduled to go in the Louisiana Derby but instead found himself visiting the doctor following his Saturday workout. The Yankee Gentleman colt underwent successful surgery Monday in Lexington, Kentucky, for a fractured sesamoid suffered following the breeze.

www.brisnet.com/cgi-bin/editorial/news/article.cgi?id=35111&from=656

This should be a good race. Looking forward to seeing Revolutionary. And someone might just step up.

Risen Star also-rans look to take big step forward
By Bob Fortus


That’s all trainers Dallas Stewart, Tom Amoss, and Steve Asmussen want to see from the 3-year-olds they’re running in the Louisiana Derby on Saturday.

Sure, Golden Soul, Mylute, and Proud Strike were also-rans in the Risen Star on Feb. 23, but only 3 1/2 lengths separated the first eight finishers.

The farther, the better for Golden Soul, Stewart has been saying for weeks. A late-runner, Golden Soul lacked punch in the stretch in the 1 1/16-mile Risen Star and finished sixth, losing by 2 3/4 lengths.

“The distance separates them,” Stewart said. “He’s doing great. He’s training good. He looks good. He’s put on weight. I just think the distance is going to help him. Even after a mile and an eighth, it should benefit him – running style, pedigree. I think it’s a wide-open race.”

Amoss has made a few tweaks with Mylute, who made a bid for the lead in the stretch in the Risen Star but couldn’t sustain his run, finishing seventh.

“Our game plan going into this race, rather than training sharply into this race, we have two easy works behind it,” Amoss said.

Also, the blinkers are coming off Mylute to “try to make him finish better,” Amoss said.

A little smoother training schedule also might help Mylute.

In January, a partial stake in him was sold, and although he was galloping in the morning, he didn’t work while the sale was pending.

“There’s a case to be made that he should be a better-prepared horse based on some training interruptions that we had,” Amoss said.

Proud Strike, who broke from the rail in the Risen Star, battled for the lead on the backstretch before fading.

“He got tired,” Asmussen said. “It was disappointing for him not to run better, but he didn’t run bad. He lost concentration at the half-mile pole. It wasn’t what I wanted. It wasn’t what I expected, but I see reasons for him to improve off of it.”

Trainer Al Stall Jr., who scratched Departing and Sunbean from the Risen Star because of their outside post positions, is looking forward to running both colts in the Louisiana Derby.

Departing won his prep race, the Texas Heritage Stakes on March 2 at Sam Houston, by 2 3/4 lengths and is undefeated in three starts. Sunbean, who was on the also-eligible list for the Risen Star but would have drawn into the field, instead raced that day in the Crescent City Derby, overpowering Louisiana-breds by 4 3/4 lengths.

As long as there are no surprise entrants Wednesday for the Louisiana Derby, Sunbean will be part of an expected full field of 14 3-year-olds. If the race overfills, because all of his earnings came in Louisiana-bred races, he would be pushed to the also-eligible list.

Stall said he can’t separate Departing and Sunbean.

“Who would know?” Stall said. “Sunbean can be a little more forward than Departing. Departing can switch off and do whatever you want, but Sunbean is learning to do that.”

Both colts are late nominees to the Triple Crown races, Stall said.

Sunbean is owned by the Brittlyn Stable of Maurice and Evelyn Benoit.

She said she was disappointed that Sunbean didn’t run in the Risen Star, “but everything’s worked out probably for the best.” She also said she thinks he would have won the Risen Star and is “very confident” he can be competitive in the Louisiana Derby.

“I have my work cut out for me, don’t get me wrong,” she said. “But I like the horse, and he deserves a shot. More than that, I’m proud to represent Louisiana. It’s about time Louisiana had a horse in the Kentucky Derby.”

Ground Transport, who won a two-turn optional claimer the day of the Risen Star, will make his stakes debut in the Louisiana Derby. His only loss in three starts was a runner-up finish in his debut sprinting behind Departing.

“I think it’s coming up as one of the toughest of the Derby preps, a deep and contentious field,” trainer Mike Stidham said. “I hope he’s going to fit well. Numbers-wise, he’s got to move up a few points to be competitive with these horses. I think he’s going in that direction.”

Other local horses expected for the Louisiana Derby are Whiskey Bravo, trained by Keith Desormeaux, and Hip Four Sixtynine, trained by Bobby Barnett.

Desormeaux won the Risen Star with Ive Struck a Nerve, who is sidelined with an injury. Whiskey Bravo, whose only victory in four starts came in a maiden-claiming race at Fair Grounds, is coming off a fourth-place finish in the Texas Heritage, 5 3/4 lengths behind Departing.

“I’m trying to be careful that I’m not entering this horse because I lost the other one,” Desormeaux said. “There’s a lot of reasons why he belongs.”

He said he was encouraged by Whiskey Bravo’s last race, even though the colt couldn’t sustain his run.

“I attribute that to his lack of experience,” Desormeaux said.

www.drf.com/news/louisiana-derby-risen-star-also-rans-look-take-big-step-forward

I really like reading about their pedigree. Also, how the names are often so clever! As of now, Revolutionary is my pick.


Farish Calls Revolutionary a 'Grand Colt'
By Esther Marr


Louisiana Derby (gr. II) morning line favorite Revolutionary is continuing the graded stakes-winning tradition that has lasted in his female family for three profitable generations.

The son of the ill-fated champion War Pass has also already done well to carry on his sire's legacy with his neck score in the Feb. 2 Withers Stakes (gr. III) at Aqueduct Racetrack, and now has aspirations of a start in the May 4 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I). For a full preview of the March 30 Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, click here.

The colt, who is from the first crop of War Pass, descends from a royal pedigree carefully fashioned by veteran breeder William S. Farish's Lane's End Farm. Farish made a wise choice when he privately acquired Revolutionary's third dam, winner The Garden Club, as a broodmare.

"She just had a terrific pedigree and it was a family that had been extremely successful historically," Farish explained. "That was back in the early 1970s when I was buying top families, and she was one of my favorites."

The daughter of Herbager produced three stakes winners for the Kentucky-based breeder, including Revolutionary's second dam Up the Flagpole. The Hoist the Flag mare, whom Farish raced as a homebred, compiled an impressive 7-3-2 record from 22 starts, topped by a victory in the


Up the Flagpole's abilities as a broodmare proved even more impressive than her race career. Among her seven stakes-winning offspring are European, English, Irish, and Italian highweight Flagbird, plus other grade I victors Prospectors Delite and Runup the Colors.

Prospectors Delite is the dam of U.S. Horse of the Year and prominent sire Mineshaft , grade I winner Tomisue's Delight, and three other stakes winners. Runup the Colors is the dam of Revolutionary.

Runup the Colors also raced as a Farish homebred and made Farish proud by winning six of 18 starts, including the 1997 Alabama Stakes (gr. I). She retired with earnings of $555,024.

Farish explained how the mating with farm stallion War Pass that produced Runup the Colors' eighth foal Revolutionary, was a strategic one.

"I was looking for more speed in that family, because Runup the Colors and (her sire) A.P. Indy both were producing classic horses, but the mare wasn't coming up with the kind of horse we wanted," he said. "It was the first year for War Pass and I thought the pedigree worked awfully well, infusing Mr. Prospector and Cherokee Run into that family."

Lane's End typically sells all of its colts at auction, and Revolutionary was no exception. Farish was impressed with the colt's appearance as a foal and knew he would make a fine sale prospect.


Up the Flagpole's abilities as a broodmare proved even more impressive than her race career. Among her seven stakes-winning offspring are European, English, Irish, and Italian highweight Flagbird, plus other grade I victors Prospectors Delite and Runup the Colors.

Prospectors Delite is the dam of U.S. Horse of the Year and prominent sire Mineshaft , grade I winner Tomisue's Delight, and three other stakes winners. Runup the Colors is the dam of Revolutionary.

Runup the Colors also raced as a Farish homebred and made Farish proud by winning six of 18 starts, including the 1997 Alabama Stakes (gr. I). She retired with earnings of $555,024.

Farish explained how the mating with farm stallion War Pass that produced Runup the Colors' eighth foal Revolutionary, was a strategic one.

"I was looking for more speed in that family, because Runup the Colors and (her sire) A.P. Indy both were producing classic horses, but the mare wasn't coming up with the kind of horse we wanted," he said. "It was the first year for War Pass and I thought the pedigree worked awfully well, infusing Mr. Prospector and Cherokee Run into that family."

Lane's End typically sells all of its colts at auction, and Revolutionary was no exception. Farish was impressed with the colt's appearance as a foal and knew he would make a fine sale prospect.


He was a grand colt conformation-wise," Farish said. "We thought he would be a particularly good pedigree and a conformation horse for War Pass. It certainly turned out to be that way, but tragically we lost War Pass, so that was unfortunate."

Revolutionary is the fifth offspring out of Runup the Colors to fetch six figures at auction. He was acquired for $235,000 by Kenny Troutt's WinStar Farm at the 2012 Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s March 2-year-old sale from Niall Brennan Stables, agent.



"At the sale he breezed okay without being spectacular...but because



Read more on BloodHorse.com: www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/77144/farish-calls-revolutionary-a-grand-colt#ixzz2OrtFX8Vo
He was a grand colt conformation-wise," Farish said. "We thought he would be a particularly good pedigree and a conformation horse for War Pass. It certainly turned out to be that way, but tragically we lost War Pass, so that was unfortunate."

Revolutionary is the fifth offspring out of Runup the Colors to fetch six figures at auction. He was acquired for $235,000 by Kenny Troutt's WinStar Farm at the 2012 Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s March 2-year-old sale from Niall Brennan Stables, agent.



At the sale he breezed okay without being spectacular...but because I'd seen him and liked the way he went at Niall Brennan's farm it gave me more confidence to go ahead and buy him," said Elliot Walden, president and CEO of WinStar. "Anything we purchase is with an eye of possibly landing in the stud barn. His pedigree...being out of an Alabama winner and having a very good bottom side combined with being by a champion, I felt like if he could do his job, he could make War Pass look good and therefore be a commodity people would want to breed to."

Runup the Colors is also the dam of stakes-placed Ice Road (by Unbridled's Song ) and Tafaseel (by Belong to Me ). Those offspring respectively brought $750,000 and $550,000 at auction.

Lane's End sold the now 19-year-old Runup the Colors for $60,000 to Brad Kelley's Bluegrass Hall at the 2011 Keeneland November mixed sale. She was in foal to Quality Road at the time of the sale.

"She's an A.P. Indy mare and he bought her to breed to English Channel and she's in foal to English Channel, but unfortunately she aborted the Quality Road," said Eddie Kane, farm manager of Calumet Farm where the mare is kept.

"She's due April 3, so she's getting close," Kane added. "We'll see how that foal looks; maybe we'll go back to English Channel (for 2014), but we haven't decided yet."


While Lane's End no longer owns Runup the Colors, the farm has retained several of her other family members, including her winning Dixie Union offspring Freedom Flag. Now a broodmare, Freedom Flag has produced two foals, the most recent of which is a Speightstown filly, born March 28.

Time will tell whether the family will continue producing such talented horses as Revolutionary, but Farish can only hope the tradition lives on



Photo: Blood-Horse Library
Up the Flagpole won 7 races in 22 starts.


Read more on BloodHorse.com: www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/77144/farish-calls-revolutionary-a-grand-colt#ixzz2Oru1IUGM

Castellano showed why right now, he's one of the best jocks!

Revolutionary outfights Mylute

Revolutionary capped a spectacular Saturday at Fair Grounds for trainer Todd Pletcher when driving to a hard-fought victory in the 100th running of the Grade 2, $1 million at Fair Grounds in New Orleans.

Javier Castellano was aboard Revolutionary, the 2-1 favorite in a field of 14 3-year-olds, when the WinStar Farm colt out-gamed 19-1 shot Mylute by nearly a length. Revolutionary, by War Pass, returned $6.80 to win after completing the 1 1/8-mile distance in 1:50.28 over a fast track.

Revolutionary, winner of the Grade 3 Withers in his prior start, earned 100 points toward eligibility into the Kentucky Derby on the new system being used by Churchill Downs.

Earlier Saturday, Pletcher won the Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks with Unlimited Budget and the Grade 2 New Orleans Handicap with Graydar.

The $2 exacta (3-11) paid $107.80; the $1 trifecta (3-11-7) returned $314.60; and the 10-cent superfecta (3-11-7-4) was worth $546.50.

www.drf.com/news/louisiana-derby-revolutionary-outfights-mylute