Sierra Leone Splashes to Risen Star Stakes Win at Fair Grounds

February 17th, 2024 by Byron King

Content provided by BloodHorse

2024 Risen Star Stakes, Kentucky Derby, Fair Grounds, Track Phantom, Sierra Leone, Chad Brown

Sierra Leone caught Track Phantom late to win the Risen Star Stakes in the slop at Fair Grounds. (Hodges Photography)

A $2.3 million buy at The Saratoga Sale at Fasig-Tipton in 2022, Sierra Leone is the most expensive horse sold at public auction of 346 early nominees to the Triple Crown. More importantly, he is also one of the fastest — a fact that was on display Feb. 17 when the colt by Gun Runner made an auspicious 3-year-old debut at Fair Grounds with a win in the $400,000 Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes.

Showing improved focus with the addition of blinkers, Sierra Leone rallied from ninth to catch leader Track Phantom and won by a half a length. He defeated a field that top to bottom appeared the strongest of any Kentucky Derby prep race contested so far in 2024.

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Runner-up in the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes last fall after a first-out victory for trainer Chad Brown, Sierra Leone overcame slow fractions of :24.32, :49.67, and 1:14.74 to win a sloppy renewal of the Risen Star with 1 1/8 miles in 1:52.13. The final time over wet conditions was the slowest since Fair Grounds extended the distance of the Risen Star to 1 1/8 miles in 2020. Sierra Leone paid $7.40 to win.

"The blinkers really helped him focus today," winning jockey Tyler Gaffalione said. "He broke alertly. He got a comfortable trip up the backside and relaxed for me. When he took the lead in the stretch, I could feel beneath me he is only going to want to go longer after this.

"He is an incredible horse and Chad Brown and his team have done an incredible job with him. You always keep dreaming of the big races like the Derby, and horses like this help you keep the dream alive.”

Sierra Leone races for owners Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Westerberg, Brook Smith, and Peter Brant.

"Given the track conditions and slow pace and that he hasn't run since the Remsen, I thought he showed a lot to run down a pretty good horse who was in form and fit and didn't have to ship," Brown said of Sierra Leone catching Track Phantom, a two-time stakes winner at Fair Grounds. "I wasn't sure if he'd reel him in. This proved a lot to me today."

Smarty Jones Stakes winner Catching Freedom rallied for third, 1 1/4 lengths behind the runner-up and 1 3/4 lengths ahead of Resilience in fourth. Honor Marie was 2 3/4 lengths farther back in fifth.

Kentucky Derby qualifying points were earned on a 50-25-15-10-5 basis by Saturday's top five finishers. With the victory, Sierra Leone has seemingly assured himself a spot in the Derby starting gate.

The Risen Star is the second-richest race for 3-year-old males of the racing season at Fair Grounds, surpassed only by the $1 million Grade 2 Louisiana Derby on March 23. The 1 3/16-mile Louisiana Derby offers 200 qualifying points toward the May 4 Run for the Roses with 100 points to the winner.

Brown, however, indicated the April 6 Grade 1 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland is the intended final Derby prep for Sierra Leone.

Chad Brown won the Blue Grass in 2018 with Good Magic and in 2022 with Zandon. Both horses hit the board in the Kentucky Derby. Good Magic ran second, and Zandon finished third. The latter also kicked off his season in the Risen Star, finishing third. Brown is a two-time winner of the Preakness Stakes. He has trained seven Derby starters.

Tyler Gaffalione has gone unplaced in six Derby rides. His best Derby finish came on seventh-place finisher War of Will, who, after a troubled trip in the Derby, would take the Preakness Stakes two weeks later. War of Will captured the 2019 Risen Star under Gaffalione.

Three Risen Star participants have gone on to win the Kentucky Derby: War Emblem, sixth in the 2002 Risen Star; Country House, second in 2019; and Mandaloun, first in 2021. Both Country House and Mandaloun won the Kentucky Derby via disqualifications. Many of the Risen Star's top performers have contended in the first leg of the Triple Crown in recent years. Sierra Leone's sire, Gun Runner — who took the 2016 Risen Star and Louisiana Derby — went on to finish third in that year's Kentucky Derby. His steady improvement into his 4-year-old season would make him Horse of the Year in 2017.