The Kentucky Derby (G1) picture is starting to expand in the way of contenders as an upset occurred in the dark in Louisiana on February 18.
Albaugh Family Stables’ ANGEL OF EMPIRE (Classic Empire – Armony’s Angel by To Honor and Serve) the longest price of the three entries from the Brad Cox barn, proved to be the colt most ready to handle nine furlongs by winning the $400,000 Risen Star Stakes (G2) by one-length over Sun Thunder at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. Angel of Empire earned 50 points for a new total of 54 on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, putting him at the top of the leaderboard.
“Physically it looks like he can run all day,” Cox said. “We could see that last summer when we got him ready to run. We started him a mile at Indiana (Horseshoe Indianapolis) and it worked out. We had a little pace to run at today and it worked out well. It’s five weeks to the Louisiana Derby and we’ll look at that, all the Grade 1s will be in the conversation. We’ll let the dust settle and see how he comes out of it. This is a horse that we thought as the months go by he’ll get better and he has.”
Angel of Empire was ridden by jockey Luis Saez and the Pennsylvania-bred completed 1 1/8 miles in 1:51.47 for an 87 Beyer Speed Figure, according to Daily Racing Form. As race 13 on the Fair Grounds card, and without lights on the track, it was quite dark by post time.
A quick pace was set by the Mark Casse-trained Determinedly, who beat Canadian-owned Harlocap to the front and quickened through the opening calls in :23.34 :47.50 while facing pressure from that runner, as well Shaq Diesel and the post-time favorite Victory Formation. As efforts began to fall short out front, Two Phil’s came out from cover to position for a strong bid, but Sun Thunder came firing down the rail from near the back to take the lead at the stretch call. Maneuvering to the outside of Two Phil’s, Angel Of Empire kept finding to meet Sun Thunder’s run and the two of them battled until the Cox runner proved too much, pulling away from the place finisher at the wire. Two Phil’s hung on for third, and Tapit’s Conquest and Single Ruler chased those runners home to finish fourth and fifth, respectively.
“I watched his replays and knew he is a nice horse,” Saez said. “The key with him is to follow the right horse. We got lucky. When he got to the 3/8ths pole, I was pretty loaded. When we got to the top of the straight, I checked if I had the horse, he just kept going, and I just tried to go with him.”
In total, 100 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby were up for grabs in the Risen Star. Runner-up Sun Thunder earned 20 points followed by Two Phil’s (15), Tapit’s Conquest (10) and Single Ruler (5).
Sent off at 13-1, Angel of Empire rewarded his backers with payouts of $29.40, $16.0 and $8.80. It was the fourth win of the day for Cox, who earlier in the program scored the 2,000th win of his career Bishops Bay.
Cox has now won three of the last four editions of the Risen Star. His first came in 2020, winning one of the split divisions with Mr. Monomoy. In 2021, Cox won with Mandaloun, the adjudicated winner of the Kentucky Derby 147.
Angel of Empire (5-3-1-0 for $330.000) was bred in Pennsylvania by Forgotten Land Investment Inc & Black Diamond Equine Corp. After he RNA’d for $32,000 as a weanling, he sold for just $70,000 as a Keeneland September yearling. The colt is the first foal to race for Armony’s Angel who was placed three times in eight races. Armony’s Angel is a half-sister to the popular Grade 2 winner Conquest Big E. Further down in the pedigree, this is the family of James Tafel-bred horses. Fourth dam White Jasmine produced graded stakes winners Til Forbid and Hold On Blue and stakes producer Coragil.
The $1 million Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) will be run on Saturday, March 25.
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