East Avenue back in action in Risen Star; Good Cheer tops Rachel Alexandra

Feb 10, 2025 Kellie Reilly/Brisnet.com

Saturday’s “Louisiana Derby Preview Day” at Fair Grounds serves as a pivotal point on the Road to the Kentucky Derby and Oaks.

The $500,000 Risen Star (G2) ushers in the Kentucky Derby Championship Series, and the $300,000 Rachel Alexandra (G2) marks the beginning of the Kentucky Oaks Championship Series. Both offer points on an enhanced format of 50-25-15-10-5 to the top five finishers, signifying that the trail is heating up as the first weekend in May approaches.

Godolphin will go for the double with morning-line favorites in each prep. East Avenue rates as the 9-5 choice against 12 rivals in the Risen Star, and unbeaten Good Cheer is a 6-5 shot in the Rachel Alexandra. Both are homebreds by outstanding sire Medaglia d’Oro.

Risen Star (G2)

East Avenue has not raced since his disappointment in the Nov. 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) at Del Mar. Hopes were high as he went off as the 9-5 favorite following front-running romps in his Ellis Park debut and the Breeders’ Futurity (G1). But East Avenue lost all chance by stumbling at the start, and he never factored in ninth. The Brendan Walsh pupil has been training forwardly at Fair Grounds for his comeback. The 1 1/8-mile distance shouldn’t be an issue if he’s fit enough, and a better break with jockey Tyler Gaffalione should make all the difference.

East Avenue was much the best and picks up 10 #KentuckyDerby points in the G1 Breeders' Futurity! 🏆🌹 @Tyler_Gaff @brenpwalsh @godolphin

🎥#TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/p53htmMtbs

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) October 5, 2024

Another who ran a subpar race in the Juvenile, seventh-placer Jonathan’s Way, is also in the field. The hero of the first Road to the Kentucky Derby event, the Sept. 14 Iroquois (G3) at Churchill Downs, Jonathan’s Way was last seen rebounding back beneath the Twin Spires when runner-up in the Nov. 30 Kentucky Jockey Club (G2). He too has been working sharply for trainer Phil Bauer, and meet-leading rider Jose Ortiz picks up the mount.

Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher sends the undefeated Vassimo to test stakes company for the first time. The son of 2016 Kentucky Derby (G1) champion Nyquist broke his maiden at Gulfstream Park and aced his two-turn allowance at Tampa Bay Downs in his latest. Irad Ortiz Jr. comes in to maintain their partnership.

Also invading from Florida is the Chad Brown-trained Septarian, who was a well-beaten third in the Mucho Macho Man S. at Gulfstream Park. The Resolute Bloodstock recruit adds blinkers and the in-demand Flavien Prat.

Although Lecomte (G3) winner Disco Time is skipping the Risen Star, the local form is well represented by Built. After wiring the first leg of the Fair Grounds series, the Dec. 21 Gun Runner S., by 6 3/4 lengths, Built had a tougher challenge from post 12 in the Lecomte, and he still missed by just a neck in second. The Wayne Catalano trainee drew a bit better in post 9 of 13 here, and he gets a rider switch to Luis Saez.

Other veterans of the Fair Grounds preps are Magnitude, the Gun Runner second who was sixth in the Lecomte; Gun Runner third Render Judgment; and the respective seventh and ninth from the Lecomte, Seattle Road and Jolly Samurai. Vamitos Carlitos comes off a good second in a local allowance to well-regarded Admiral Dennis.

Living legend D. Wayne Lukas gives the Justify colt American Promise, an also-ran in the Southwest (G3), another chance on the Derby trail. Giocoso, third in the Iroquois, reverts to dirt after capturing a turf allowance Nov. 8 at Churchill. Chunk of Gold, runner-up in the Leonatus S. on the Turfway Park Tapeta, makes his dirt debut in this spot.

Rachel Alexandra (G2)

Good Cheer brings a 4-for-4 record into her sophomore bow for Brad Cox. Even more impressive, she’s won them all by resounding margins, including the Rags to Riches S. and Golden Rod (G2) on Churchill’s Road to the Kentucky Oaks.

Good Cheer is too good in the G2 Golden Rod at @churchilldowns for trainer @bradcoxracing with @luissaezpty aboard! 🏆🏆

🎥 #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/xivu5wZ3nn

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) November 30, 2024

Fellow unbeaten Simply Joking, who famously debuted in the Dec. 21 Letellier Memorial here, stretched out to wire the Jan. 18 Silverbulletday S. in style. The Whit Beckman filly has been tactically versatile so far, but she might well turn out to be the controlling speed again.

Brown and Prat team up with Ballerina d’Oro, an eye-catching second in the Demoiselle (G2) in her latest at Aqueduct. Like Good Cheer a daughter of Medaglia d’Oro, she’d appreciate having some pace support as she cuts back to 1 1/16 miles. Another Demoiselle alum, seventh-placer Bless the Broken, came back to place a much better second in the Silverbulletday.

Ken McPeek, whose 2024 Kentucky Oaks (G1) star Thorpedo Anna was recently crowned Horse of the Year, is double-handed with Gowells Delight and Anonima. Gowells Delight, a debut winner at this track and trip, hopes to turn the page on a distant fourth in the Martha Washington S. at Oaklawn Park. Anonima exits a course-and-distance allowance score. Rounding out the field is Aledean, successful in an off-the-turf allowance here for Tom Amoss.

The Rachel Alexandra is the 13th race with a 7 p.m. ET post time, and the Risen Star is the finale of the 14-race program at 7:30 p.m. ET. You can watch and wager on the entire stakes-laden card at TwinSpires.com.