Sierra Leone surges late, overhauls Track Phantom in Risen Star

Feb 17, 2024 Kellie Reilly/Brisnet.com

The $2.3 million sales topper at Saratoga as a yearling, Sierra Leone now tops the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard after winning Saturday’s $400,000 Risen Star (G2) at Fair Grounds. The 2.70-1 favorite unleashed a sustained rally to collar front-running Track Phantom, adding 50 more points to his account.

In so doing, Sierra Leone also attracted a flurry of support in Pool 4 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager, steaming into 5-1 odds as the new favorite among individual interests. Pool 4 runs through Sunday at 6 p.m. (ET), so watch to see any further fluctuations.

Trained by Chad Brown for an international conglomerate headed by Coolmore, Sierra Leone was scoring his first stakes victory in the same race that launched his own sire to the forefront, Gun Runner, in 2016. Sierra Leone was coming off a near-miss in the Dec. 2 Remsen (G2) at Aqueduct, where he made a terrific move to strike the front, only to get outdueled late by Dornoch.

The highly-regarded colt wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice, especially once Brown tinkered with his equipment. His focus enhanced with the addition of blinkers, and the intangible benefit of racing experience, Sierra Leone proved relentless in the Risen Star.

Track Phantom had shown speed when taking the first two legs of the Fair Grounds series, the Gun Runner S. and Lecomte (G3). Thus it was no surprise as he scampered to the early lead from post 11. Cardinale tried to go with him in the initial strides, but ended up settling in a stalking role, flanked by fellow Florida shipper Resilience.

Meanwhile, Sierra Leone was traveling comfortably off the pace, in ninth, for new rider Tyler Gaffalione. Further behind was another notable closer, Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) winner Honor Marie.

Both had their work cut out to catch Track Phantom, the controlling speed on a sloppy track. Indeed, the Steve Asmussen trainee continued to hold sway into the stretch. Resilience chugged on at one pace, and Catching Freedom loomed without quite getting near enough.

Then Sierra Leone angled out widest of all and leveled off beautifully. Lowering his head as he lengthened stride, he struck top gear inside the final furlong to overhaul Track Phantom by a half-length. He negotiated 1 1/8 miles in 1:52.13 to advance his resume to 3-2-1-0, $336,750.

#4 Sierra Leone earns 50 points on the road to the @KentuckyDerby from the @fairgroundsnola. #FG152 ⚜️

Jockey: @Tyler_Gaff
Trainer: Chad Brown

🎙️ @JohnGDooley#TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/gsY0rPDG4C

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) February 18, 2024

Sierra Leone’s total stands at 55 points, including the five from the Remsen. Track Phantom also has 55 points, between the 25 for his runner-up effort in the Risen Star and 30 from his prior stakes wins here. But Sierra Leone has more non-restricted stakes earnings ($290,000 compared to $260,000 for Track Phantom), and that tiebreaker puts him at the overall number one.

Catching Freedom checked in another 1 1/4 lengths adrift in third, adding 15 points for a total of 25. Resilience picked up 10 points in fourth. Honor Marie closed belatedly for fifth, good for five more points to bump him up to 15. Next came Awesome Ruta, Hall of Fame, Real Men Violin, Moonlight, Tizzy Indy, Cardinale, and Bee Dancer.

Sierra Leone was bred by Debby Oxley in Kentucky. Not only was sire Gun Runner on the Derby trail, placing third in the 2016 Run for the Roses, but his dam (mother), Heavenly Love, was herself on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks for a time. Heavenly Love never regained form after her marquee win, however, in the 2017 Alcibiades (G1).

Heavenly Love, by the successful A.P. Indy stallion Malibu Moon, is closely related to Grade 2 vixen Forever Darling, dam of unbeaten Japan Road leader Forever Young. This is also the family of past Japanese Horse of the Year Zenno Rob Roy.