Which Sophomore Will ‘Star’ in NOLA?

A solid group of 10 sophomore males comprise the cast of Saturday afternoon’s GII Risen Star S. at Fair Grounds. Godolphin colorbearer Imperia (Medaglia d’Oro) gets the 7-2 morning-line nod off a head second in Churchill’s GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. to conclude his juvenile campaign Nov. 29. The Sheikh Mohammed homebred was flattered when KYJC winner El Kabeir (Scat Daddy) came back to romp in the GIII Jerome S. before finishing second in the GIII Withers S.; fourth finisher International Star (Fusaichi Pegasus) annexed the local GIII LeComte S. Jan. 17; and fifth-place Lord Nelson (Pulpit) returned to upset Texas Red (Afleet Alex) in the GII San Vicente S. Imperia, a son of sloppy track and turf Grade I winner Cocoa Beach (Chi) (Doneraile Court), raced exclusively on the sod before his last outing. He just missed in his Saratoga unveiling Aug. 23, and donned cap and gown in the GIII Pilgrim S. at Belmont in September with the powerful first-time Lasix from Kiaran McLaughlin angle in full effect. Imperia finished 10th, beaten only 3 3/4 lengths with a no-hope trip, in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Oct. 31. 

Also invading from out of town is Donald Dizney’s “TDN Rising Star” J S Bach (Tale of the Cat). The Todd Pletcher pupil finished second with a solid 92 Beyer Speed Figure in a 5 1/2-furlong Florida-bred maiden special weight at Gulfstream Dec. 19, and broke through emphatically by 8 1/2 lengths in an open 1 1/16-mile event Jan. 17. J S Bach, who was originally scheduled to run in Oaklawn’s GIII Southwest S. Jan. 17 before it was moved from Monday to tomorrow, will be piloted by California-based Rafael Bejarano, who hooked up with East Coast-based Pletcher to take last year’s GI Chandelier S. with Angela Renee (Bernardini) and the 2013 GI Arkansas Derby with Overanalyze (Dixie Union).

Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s aforementioned International Star, who was second in Saratoga’s grassy GII With Anticipation S. and also won the GIII Grey S. on the Woodbine Polytrack last year, found room up the rail in the stretch here to defeatWar Story (Northern Afleet), Tiznow R J (Tiznow) and Hero of Humor (Sharp Humor) in the Jan. 17 LeComte. He enjoyed a pretty advantageous set-up that day, but figures to get pace to close into again if he can overcome the 10 post. 

Fox Hill Farms’s Bluff (Tapit) has just a maiden win to his credit, but it was a visually impressive one. The Larry Jones representative unleashed a powerful turn move to don cap and gown by 5 3/4 lengths going an extended mile here Jan. 22.