Unbeaten Victory Formation seeks to keep his unbeaten streak intact as he will be the favorite in the USD400,000 Risen Star Stakes. The Grade 2 event, which offers vital Kentucky Derby 2023 points, will flag off on Saturday, February 18, at 7:14pm ET at the Fair Grounds. The son of Tapwrit will start at the No13 post and will have a 3-1 odds of winning, according to the best online horseracing picks and parlays. The Smarty Jones winner will be up against 13 top-caliber horses who will also vie for qualification in this year’s Kentucky Derby.
Strategy for Unbeaten Victory Formation
Victory Formation will start at the outside post which is not a favorable position by horseracing standards. But his trainer Brad Cox said it will not be a problem as long as his jockey, Flavien Prat, breaks him well and put him in a good position in the first stages of the race. Cox also trusts his horse’s quickness at the gate as he has broken sharply in all of his three starts. In January, Victory Formation was in a similar predicament. He raced from the outside post at the Smarty Jones at Oaklawn. He broke flawlessly and took over at the front. He continued his surge in the final stretches and won by three lengths in the mile-long race.
Horses to Give Victory Headaches
Victory Formation will be the top favorite in the Risen Star but just like his previous races, he will have company in the 1 1/8-mile race. Tapit’s Conquest and Angel of Empire are deemed by experts as the horses that will give problems to Victory Formation on his way to the finish line. In his last race, Tapit’s Conquest rallied from the rail but came close to winning as Determinedly surged home to finish first in an allowance race. The son of Tapit will start at the No8 post and will have 6-1 odds for the race. He will be ridden by jockey Florent Geroux. Meanwhile, Angel of Empire will seek revenge from his Smarty Jones loss to Victory Formation. The 8-1 favorite drew post No6 and will have a new rider in Luis Saez.
Betting for Horseracing in 2023 Risen Star Stakes
Four other horses were given 8-1 odds like Angel of Empire. These are Determinedly, Harlocap, Curly Jack and Two Phil’s. They are also capable of pulling off a big surprise in the race. Silver Heist and Private Creed are given 12-1 odds of winning while Sun Thunder and Crupi come in as 15-1 longshots. Single Ruler and Shaq Diesel have 30-1 odds while Quiet as Midnight is given a 50-1 shot of winning.
2023 Risen Star Stakes Entries
- Quiet as Midnight 50-1
- Single Ruler 30-1
- Shaq Diesel 30-1
- Determinedly 8-1
- Harlocap 8-1
- Angel of Empire 8-1
- Sun Thunder 15-1
- Tapit’s Conquest 6-1
- Curly Jack 8-1
- Two Phil’s 8-1
- Silver Heist 12-1
- Crupi 15-1
- Victory Formation 3-1*
- Private Creed 12-1
Legend
*- Favorite
Pick
Victory Formation is seen as the top favorite, according to sports betting sites. His three race wins were impressive and horseracing aficionados are expecting the three-year-old horse to continue his winning streak. Tapit’s Conquest and Angel of Empire will also contend in the event and are slated to challenge Victory Formation in the 1 1/8-mile race. The event will be significant for horses competing for Kentucky Derby qualifying points as it will offer 50 points for the winner and 20 for second place. The remaining top five finishers will be given 15, 10 and five points, respectively.
