By Brian DiDonato
John Oxley's Airoforce (Colonel John), forced to skip last Saturday's GIII Sam F. Davis S. due to a minor illness, headlines a competitive renewal of the GII Risen Star S. at Fair Grounds Saturday. A debut winner sprinting at Kentucky Downs Sept. 5, the $350,000 OBSAPR juvenile was a clear-cut winner of the GIII Bourbon S. on yielding Keeneland sod Oct. 4 before falling a neck short of Irish invader Hit It a Bomb (War Front) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at the end of that month. Trying the main track–albeit slop–in Churchill's GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. Nov. 28, the grey bested what has proven to be a strong bunch and was named a finalist for 2015 champion juvenile honors. KYJC runner-up Mor Spirit (Eskendereya) returned to California to annex the GI Los Alamitos Futurity Dec. 19, and added the GIII Robert B. Lewis S. Feb. 3.
“I'm not concerned at all about having him where we want him to be,” trainer Mark Casse told Bill Finley earlier this week. “I think when you go to New Orleans, there's definitely a home-field advantage and it's not ours. The thing I liked about going to Tampa was that everyone was going to be on the same page. That's my only concern about the Risen Star, but we've got to get him going.”
Third finisher Mo Tom (Uncle Mo), meanwhile, closed resolutely to best KYJC eighth Tom's Ready (More Than Ready) in the GIII LeComte S. Jan. 16. Uncle Walter (Uncle Mo), who represents last year's Risen Star-winning connections in the Ramseys and Mike Maker, filled out the trifecta. LeComte fourth Destin (Giant's Causeway) flattered that bunch with a daylight victory in the Sam Davis.
Gun Runner (Candy Ride {Arg}) was a debut winner at Churchill Sept. 11, and bested the likes of Sam Davis runner-up Rafting (Tapit) in a Keeneland allowance Oct. 17. He hit the front at the top of the lane in the Kentucky Jockey Club, and hung right with Airoforce and Mor Spirit for much of the stretch run, but faded late to fourth.
Candy My Boy (Candy Ride {Arg}), second for $15,000 and $30,000 tags at Indiana and Churchill in October and November, respectively, broke through here in a maiden special weight on New Year's Eve. Let go at 10-1 in a Jan. 18 optional claimer, he went to the front and never looked back en route to a 2 3/4-length score, good for a solid 85 Beyer Speed Figure. Forevamo (Uncle Mo), winner of Delta's Jean Laffitte S. in October, was second.
Bistraya (Haynesfield), who broke through last time at fifth asking at Santa Anita Jan. 24; and Its All Relevant (Hard Spun), who aired in a rained-off maiden special weight at Gulfstream in his sixth try Jan. 15, have very similar profiles to Candy My Boy and could add fuel to the fire early.
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