Ron the Greek back for Risen Star Stakes

Horseracing Betting Lines

02/15/2010 - New Orleans, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Lecomte Stakes winner Ron the Greek returns to action Saturday in the $300,000 Risen Star Stakes at the Fair Grounds. The 1 1/16 mile race is the final local prep for the $750,000 Louisiana Derby on Saturday, March 27.

Ron the Greek, owned by Jack Hammer and trained by Tom Amoss, edged 2-1 favorite Maximus Ruler to win the Lecomte. Maximus Ruler is being held out of the Risen Star with a hoof injury.

"I just don't feel comfortable running him back this weekend," Maximus Ruler's trainer Clark Hanna said. "This is the best horse I've had in my lifetime and I don't want to ruin him. My best educated guess right now is it's only a stone bruise and he'll be fine, but he'll have plenty of other opportunities."

Jockey James Graham will again be riding Ron the Greek, and the pair will break from post 11 in the 12-horse field. The colt will be making his fifth career start on Saturday and goes after victory number four. He has lifetime earnings of $104,400.

Trainer Todd Pletcher has another of his many three-year-olds entered Saturday. Discreetly Mine, the defeated 9-5 favorite in last month's Spectacular Bid at Gulfstream, has drawn post four with Javier Castellano in the saddle.

Owned by E. Paul Robsham, Discreetly Mine was fourth in the Spectacular Bid behind A Little Warm.

"He wasn't quick out of the gate," said jockey John Velazquez after losing the Spectacular Bid. "He put himself in good position until just around the three-eighths pole where he got bumped and thrown against the rail. He didn't like that at all and that was it."

Discreetly Mine finished 2009 with a pair of second-place finishes at Belmont Park. In September the colt lost to D'Funnybone in the Futurity and in October he was runner-up in the Champagne to Homeboykris.

The three-year-old has just one win in six career starts with $179,350.

Here is the complete field for the Risen Star in position order: Bravo Whiskey, Curt Bourque; Tempted to Tapit, David Cohen; Mountain Justice, Shane Sellers; Discreetly Mine, Javier Castellano; Random Move, Miguel Mena; Drosselmeyer, Kent Desormeaux; Northern Giant, John Jacinto; Worldly, Pat Valenzuela; Stay Put, Jamie Theriot; Letsgetitonmon, Shaun Bridgmohan; Ron the Greek, James Graham and Hotep, Robby Albarado.

Post-time for the Risen Star Stakes, won last year by Friesan Fire, is set for 5:45 p.m. (et).

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