Discreetly Mine takes Risen Star Stakes

Discreetly Mine takes Risen Star Stakes

Published Feb. 21, 2010 12:57 a.m. ET

A clear day and a fast track presented perfect conditions for Discreetly Mine to win the $300,000 Risen Star Stakes by a length on Saturday in the final prep for the Louisiana Derby.

With 5-1 morning-line odds improving to 5-2 at the post, Discreetly Mine led from start to finish with Javier Castellano in the saddle, holding off Tempted to Tapit and 50-1 underdog Northern Giant for the win at Fair Grounds.

``He broke well out of the gate and he looked happy galloping along,'' Castellano said. ``We got a position, relaxed, made a move on the backstretch and just continued to the wire.''

It was Discreetly Mine's first win as a 3-year-old and just the second win of his seven-race career. He paid $7, $4.20 and $3.80.

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Tempted to Tapit returned $8 and $6 while Northern Giant paid $14.60.

Drosselmeyer, a 3-2 favorite, finished fourth. Ron the Greek, who started the day at 3-1, finished sixth, a disappointment after winning the Lecomte Stakes last week.

``He was trying hard at the end and we just couldn't catch up,'' Drosselmeyer's jockey, Kent Desormeaux, said. ``It was very encouraging the way he galloped out. He has a good turn of foot and I'm very pleased.''

Discreetly Mine broke fast out of the fourth post and, on a track where late-breaking horses have found success, withstood a challenge by Tempted to Tapit with a furlong remaining to take the 1 1/6-mile race in 1:44.88.

Trainer Todd Pletcher earned his third victory in a week, and second in just one day after his 3-year-old Eskendereya won the Fountain of Youth earlier in the day. But he did not attend the races.

Tempted to Tapit, who won his last race by more than 11 lengths, ran a close second under David Cohen the entire race and held off Northern Giant by a nose down the stretch.

``I was behind horses in the first time and then got him outside and he seemed to relax very well,'' Cohen said. ``He finished very strong and held off those other challengers for second.''

In winning the Lecomte, Ron the Greek was looking for a strong before the Louisiana Derby on March 27. But he couldn't find his way out of the pack, was angled into the rail and didn't have enough on his final surge to make a showing or beat Stay Put, who ran two pounds overweight.

Seventh-place Worldly was followed by Letsgetitonmon Mountain Justice Hotep, Random move and Bravo Whiskey to round out the field of 12.

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