2026 Risen Star Stakes Betting Odds and Contenders Preview

Key Takeaways

• The Risen Star is a major 50-point Kentucky Derby prep at 1 ⅛ miles, meaning the winner is virtually guaranteed a spot in the Kentucky Derby starting gate.
• Past winners include Sierra Leone, Epicenter, Mandaloun, and Gun Runner, making this one of the most productive Derby preps of the season.
• Paladin enters undefeated, owns a dominant Remsen (G2) win at the same distance, and has tactical speed that gives him a major pace and trip advantage.
• Carson Street chased a fast pace in the Lecomte, should get a better setup this time, and has the pedigree to move forward over 1 ⅛ miles at a square price.
• Courting adds blinkers, draws ideally outside the speed, and has the pedigree and connections to improve sharply second off the layoff.

The Kentucky Derby trail gets serious on Saturday, February 14, with the Grade 2, $500,000 Risen Star Stakes. The 1 ⅛-mile dirt race offers 50-25-15-10-5 Kentucky Derby qualifying points for the top five finishers. This means that the winner is virtually assured a spot in the Kentucky Derby, and other horses who run well in the race earn a significant portion of the points they need to make it to Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May.

The 2026 edition of the Risen Star drew a field of eight horses. The morning-line favorite is undefeated Paladin, who needed a disqualification to break his maiden over eventual Sam F. Davis winner Renegade but beat him on the square in the Remsen (G2). Other leading contenders include Lecomte (G3) winner Golden Tempo, Gun Runner winner Chip Honcho, and multiple graded-stakes placed Universe.

The Risen Star began in 1973 as the Louisiana Derby Trial Stakes and has gained in importance in recent years. The 2024 winner, Sierra Leone, finished second in the Kentucky Derby and won the Breeders’ Cup Classic. 2023 winner Angel of Empire and 2022 winner Epicenter were both the Kentucky Derby favorites. 2022 winner Mandaloun won the Kentucky Derby after the disqualification of Medina Spirit. 2019 winner War of Will won the Preakness Stakes, and 2016 winner Gun Runner won Horse of the Year at age four and is now in the Hall of Fame.

Stay right here to find out who can join this illustrious list and make noise further down the Kentucky Derby trail in 2026!

Risen Star Stakes 2026 Information

• Race Date: Saturday, February 14, 2026
• Track: Fair Grounds Race Course
• Post Time: 5:30 p.m. Central Standard Time
• Distance: 1 1/8 miles
• Age/Sex: three-year-olds
• Where to Watch: FanDuel TV
• Where to Bet: TVG.com and FanDuel Racing

Risen Star Stakes Odds

These are the entrants for the 2026 Risen Star, including horses, trainers, jockeys, post positions, and official morning-line odds for each horse.

Risen Star Stakes Prep Results

The eight horses in the Risen Star come out of just four different races, with three of those races being Kentucky Derby points prep races.

Four of the Risen Star runners come out of the Lecomte on January 17, the previous race on the Fair Grounds spur of the Kentucky Derby trail. They are led by Golden Tempo, who made a sharp last-to-first rally to win by three-quarters of a length. Though runner-up Mesquite will not run in the Risen Star, the next three behind him will: Carson Street, Chip Honcho, and Quality Mischief.

Another pair makes their three-year-old debut after finishing their juvenile season in the Remsen on December 6. Paladin, who won by two lengths, is expected to be favored in the Risen Star. Courting, who chased on for a non-threatening fourth in that race, will try to move forward here.

Universe moves to Fair Grounds after a disappointing seventh as the favorite in the Smarty Jones on January 3 at Oaklawn.

The only horse coming out of a non-stakes race is Colt Forty Seven, who was most recently second behind the promising Jackson Hole in a 1 1/16-mile allowance race on the Lecomte undercard July 17 at Fair Grounds.

Risen Star Stakes Contenders

These are the eight horses in the 2026 Risen Star Stakes, sorted by their post draw:

1. Universe: He is one of the more experienced horses in the field with five starts. His juvenile form was excellent: he graduated at Saratoga and then hit the board in three straight graded-stakes races. However, he never fired as the favorite in the Smarty Jones last out. Kenny McPeek puts blinkers back on; he wore blinkers for his first two starts, so perhaps they can help. He also gets jockey Christopher Elliott back; he rode Universe well earlier in his career. Demand a price since he does have to move forward on speed figures, but especially with pave versatility, he has upside.
2. Golden Tempo: Unraced until December, he is undefeated in two starts, both over the local course. The biggest question for him is pace: he has closed from well off the pace in both of his starts to date, and it’s not clear whether there is going to be enough speed to set up for him like the torrid pace helped him in the Lecomte. His pedigree suggests the step up to 1 ⅛ miles will suit him, and his connections (trainer Cherie DeVaux and jockey Jose Ortiz) are running hot. But, with the pace question and the need for a step forward in speed, he may be underlaid.
3. Carson Street: It took him four starts to get off the mark, but even though he didn’t graduate until facing off-turf foes in the slop, he backed that effort up with a close third in the Lecomte after hounding a fast pace. He should get a better pace setup for this. Though it won’t be an easy task—Paladin, the horse to beat, does have enough tactical speed to keep him in close range—he likes the course and should get a good enough trip to figure as a contender.
4. Paladin: The only horse in the field to win at the same distance as the Remsen, he looked strong when taking the Remsen by two lengths on December 6. If he picks up where he left off from his two-year-old year, and can take that race outside of New York, this Chad Brown trainee does shape as the horse to beat, especially since he has such tactical speed.
5. Chip Honcho: He has put forth solid enough efforts in all four of his career starts, and was beaten less than two lengths by Golden Tempo in the Lecomte after attending near a sharp pace. Perhaps he’ll get a better time of it pacewise here—there’s a bit less pace in this race than there was last out. Blinkers-off is an interesting move; though often that leads a horse to show a bit less speed, he wired his maiden-breaker the last time he didn’t wear the headgear, so he could just shape as the speed of the speed.
6. Colt Forty Seven: In terms of numbers, he has the most experience with eight races so far, but this Keith Desormeaux trainee is also the only horse in the race who does not have a start in stakes company yet. Both of his wins have come in straight claimers, and though his last race yielded a second-place finish behind buzz horse Jackson Hole in a legit big-race-day allowance race, he still has to take a sharp step forward against the deepest field he has ever faced.
7. Courting: This Todd Pletcher trainee graduated second out at the one-turn mile at Aqueduct and earned a ticket to the Kentucky Derby trail after that. His Remsen came back fast—just not as fast as Paladin, who beat him by seven lengths that day and returns in the Risen Star as well. The blinkers-on is a positive move here: it would behoove him to race closer to the pace after he did in the Remsen, where he didn’t have the best start, and blinkers could encourage him to do just that. And, he is drawn farthest outside of any of the runners who can show speed.
8. Quality Mischief: A long shot in both the Gun Runner and the Lecomte, he has nibbled at underneath shares of the points in each. He needs a serious step forward to threaten for more than that again here, but has the pedigree to improve at the step up in distance, and he has been consistent enough in his dirt races to suggest he should be able to find another decent effort—especially under Florent Geroux, who has moved tack to California but takes the call on this one when he is back in New Orleans to ride older stablemate Hit Show.

Risen Star Stakes Past Winners Past Performances

Eleven horses have won the Risen Star in the last ten years, as the race was split into two divisions in 2020. All of the last eleven winners hit the superfecta in their last race, though only three actually won.

Among winners of the Risen Star in the last ten years, the most important prep race has been the Lecomte. Five of the last eleven winners of this race made their most recent start in it. They don’t have to be winners: only War of Will (2019) won in that time. However, most of the others hit the board: Epicenter (2022) was second, while Mandaloun (2021) and Mr. Monomoy (2020) were third. Magnitude (2025) bounced back from a sixth in the Lecomte to win the Risen Star.

Four of the other six winners came from stakes company, though none of those horses won their previous start. Gun Runner (2016) was fourth in the Kentucky Jockey Club, Girvin (2017) was second in the Keith Gee, an overnight stakes at Fair Grounds three weeks before the Risen Star, Angel of Empire (2023) was second in the Smarty Jones at Oaklawn, and Sierra Leone (2024) was second behind eventual Belmont winner Dornoch in the Remsen (G2) at Aqueduct.

Modernist (2020) is the only recent winner of the Risen Star to come out of maiden company; he had last been seen breaking his maiden at Aqueduct. Bravazo (2018) came out of an allowance victory at Oaklawn.

Risen Star Stakes: 3 Best Bets

These are the three best bets in the 2026 Risen Star:

1. Paladin (8-5)

Paladin is the buzz horse in this race, and for good reason. Though he needed the judges to put him up after being interfered with late on debut, he beat Renegade on the square next out in the Remsen, doing so by daylight. It showed he had the stamina to get 1 ⅛ miles, the distance of the Risen Star as well. Renegade went on to frank that form in the Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs, which he won in a no-doubter.

Aside from his class, there are other reasons to like Paladin as well. He drew a nice middle gate. Pace-wise, he should be able to track just behind the pace, and he has shown he can keep going in a battle if it comes to that. Expect him to track just behind the pace in this spot and make a sharp run in the lane—he’ll be the favorite, but the rest need a serious step up to run back to his Remsen. And, if Paladin has grown up at all since? He’ll be even tougher to topple.

2. Carson Street (8-1)

Carson Street ran an excellent race in the Lecomte, doing a lot of dirty work up front before just getting overhauled, ultimately finishing third by a length to Golden Tempo. Golden Tempo re-opposes, but with a more moderate pace likely, it’s Carson Street who gets the better of it this time.

His pedigree suggests that he will move forward over the 1 ⅛ mile distance, being a son of Street Sense out of a Harlan’s Holiday mare. He has the tactical speed, he has run a pair of good races over the Fair Grounds dirt, and jockey Ben Curtis and trainer Brendan Walsh have not only a strong history together, but also a positive flat-bet ROI together over the last two months. If Paladin comes in a little flat—or Carson Street improves enough with the better setup—he could threaten for the proverbial gold medal at a price.

3. Courting (6-1)

Todd Pletcher doesn’t ship a ton of horses to Fair Grounds, but when he does, he is worth watching. Though Courting was well beaten by Paladin in the Remsen, that happened after a bad start left Courting further off the pace than he wants to be. He was allowed to set a slow pace two back when breaking his maiden at Aqueduct—and though he is probably not going to be the pacesetter in this spot, he should be a lot closer to the pace this time than he was in the Remsen. Between the new blinkers and the draw outside all the horses expected to show speed in this race, Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez could give Courting a sweet outside stalking trip. And, being by Curlin out of the top-class Bernardini mare Cavorting, he is a full brother to multiple Grade 1 winner Clairiere, who had no trouble staying 1 ⅛ miles on the dirt.

Risen Star Stakes Undercard

Saturday is one of the featured cards of the Fair Grounds meet. The 12-race card includes five stakes races other than the Risen Star, which will be the final race of the day. Three are graded stakes: the Rachel Alexandra (G2) offers Road to the Kentucky Oaks points, the Fair Grounds (G3) features older turf horses, and the Mineshaft (G3) brings in classy older dirt horses. The card also features the Colonel Power, a turf sprint for older horses, and the Albert M. Stall Memorial, open to older fillies and mares on the grass.

With huge fields and top-class horses running all day long, make plans to watch Fair Grounds Saturday on FanDuel TV and place your bets online at FanDuel!

Fair Grounds Race Course History

The first races at what was then the Louisiana Race Course were organized by Bernard de Marigny and others in 1839 and 1839. It was reopened as Union Race Course in 1852, but closed after five years because the nearby Metairie Course proved more popular at the time. It was renamed yet again in 1859 as the Creole Race Course, then was first given the name Fair Grounds in 1963. It continued to host racing during the Civil War.

That was not the end of the closing and opening of the course, though. It closed again after the Civil War when Metairie reopened. Still, some members of the Metairie Jockey Club broke away, re-formed the Louisiana Jockey Club, and restarted racing at Fair Grounds in 1872.

Racing was banned in New Orleans in 1908, though it returned in 1915. Though the track was in jeopardy after being sold to developers in 1940, racing-minded investors saved the track from certain destruction in 1941 and ensured horse racing would continue after World War II.

A stable period followed, and in 1981, the turf course was laid, and then the facility was sold in 1990. Following a devastating fire, a new grandstand had to be built in 1994 at a cost of $27 million, with a grand reopening taking place on Thanksgiving Day 1997.

Although further damaged by Hurricane Katrina, another Thanksgiving Day reopening occurred in 2006, and since then, the track has run on an even keel and remains popular with traditional racegoers. In particular, the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks preps have increased in importance throughout recent years, given the big purses, big fields, and focus on testing for stamina.

Risen Star Stakes FAQ

Q: When is the Risen Star Stakes?

A: The 2026 Risen Star happens Saturday, February 14, at Fair Grounds Race Course. The fourteenth and last race on the card, it is scheduled to go off at 6:30 p.m. Central Standard Time.

Q: Where is the Risen Star Stakes?

A: It takes place at Fair Grounds in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Q: Which trainer has the most wins in the Risen Star Stakes?

A: Steve Asmussen leads all trainers with four wins in the Risen Star, most recently with Magnitude in 2025. He can make it five if Chip Honcho wins in 2026.

Q: Who is the favorite for the 2026 Risen Star Stakes?

A: Paladin, for trainer Chad Brown, is the 8-5 morning-line favorite for the Risen Star. He is likely to hold as a well-defined favorite, both because Brown’s horses regularly get bet hard and because he comes in from a fast victory in the Remsen, a Grade 2 race at the same 1 ⅛-mile distance as the Risen Star.

Q: Who is the best Risen Star Stakes jockey?

A: Three jockeys have won the Risen Star three times. Shane Romero and Robby Albarado are no longer active, though Florent Geroux is still riding, and he takes the call on Quality Mischief this year.

Q: Who won the 2025 Risen Star Stakes?

A: Magnitude upset the 2025 Risen Star for trainer Steve Asmussen and jockey Ben Curtis. Asmussen sends out Chip Honcho with Luis Saez in the irons, while Curtis rides Carson Street for Brendan Walsh.

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