The Louisiana Derby trail makes its third of four stops in Saturday’s Grade 2 $500,000 Risen Star Stakes. Named for New Orleans’ 1988 Preakness and Belmont winner Risen Star, this 1-1/8 miles contest has been dynamic in producing recent impact on the Triple Crown series. It’s the first 50-points-to-the-winner prep for this year’s Kentucky Derby and likely to produce multiple starters on the first Saturday in May.

Horseplayers with 1/ST BET and Xpressbet can take part Saturday in a 2 Million 1/ST Rewards Points Hit & Split promotion on Fair Grounds’ late pick 4, which includes the Risen Star. There’s also up to a $10 money-back special promo on Triple Crown prep race win bets, featuring the Risen Star and Sunland Derby this weekend. Get up to $10 back if your win bet finishes second or third when you bet with 1/ST BET and Xpressbet.

Let’s meet the contenders for the Risen Star Stakes (Race 12):

#1-UNIVERSE: Blinkers go on this Smarty Jones Stakes disappointing who looks to recapture juvenile form that saw his place 3 times in graded stakes in New York and Kentucky. Trainer Kenny McPeek turns back to his Global Campaign colt’s initial rider, Christopher Elliott, in looking to snap a 4-race losing streak. McPeek’s Risen Star Stakes win came with Repent during the 2002 season.

#2-GOLDEN TEMPO: The Lecomte Stakes winner is unbeaten in 2 starts and can cement himself as the top local sophomore with a third win at the meeting. Cherie DeVaux trains the Phipps home-bred by Curlin. Regular rider Jose Ortiz will be aboard once again as Golden Tempo looks to become the first Lecomte-Risen Star winner since International Star in 2015.

#3-CARSON STREET: Lecomte Stakes third-place finisher was under the radar that day at 15-1 odds in his stakes debut. The Brendan Walsh-trained son of 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense has been effective on any footing. Jockey Ben Curtis returns to the saddle.

#4-PALADIN: The Remsen winner is 2-for-2 and could rise to the Kentucky Derby favorite with a score, given the recent injury to Ted Noffey, return loss by Cannoneer and rousing win last week by his Remsen pursuer Renegade at Tampa. Trainer Chad Brown won this race 2 years ago with another Gun Runner colt coming out of the Remsen, Sierra Leone. Tyler Gaffalione takes the mount from Flavien Prat, who will be in Saudi Arabia.

#5-CHIP HONCHO: Trainer Steve Asmussen pulled a 43-1 upset of this race last year with Magnitude for a race record fourth victory in the Risen Star. Chip Honcho also knows his way around Fair Grounds, winning the Gun Runner Stakes before a fourth-place effort in the Lecomte. He’ll remove blinkers and get a rider switch to Luis Saez as Paco Lopez will be riding in Saudi Arabia.

#6-COLT FORTY SEVEN: Trainer Keith Desormeaux shocked the 2013 Risen Star with Ive Struck a Nerve at 135-1 odds when he beat eventual Preakness winner Oxbow and eventual Belmont winner Palace Malice. This 2-for-8 colt will be huge odds as well while making his first stakes bid and formerly running as low as $30,000 claiming.

#7-COURTING: $5 million Curlin colt is full-brother to star mare Clairiere and exits a fourth-place finish behind Paladin in the Remsen Stakes. Blinkers go on this 1-for-3 runner who makes his first start outside Aqueduct. Todd Pletcher has trained 3 Risen Star winners (2010, 2012, 2014) and his 2026 hand includes recent Holy Bull winner Nearly and Sam F. Davis winner Renegade.

#8-QUALITY MISCHIEF: Fourth in the Gun Runner and fifth in the Lecomte, this Into Mischief colt continues throughout the local trail. Trainer Brad Cox’s Risen Star successes include 2020, 2021 and 2023 – featuring eventual Kentucky Derby winner (via DQ) Mandaloun in the middle. Cox’s class of 2026 so far includes Mucho Macho Man winner Commandment and Jerome winner My World. Florent Geroux returns from Southern California, where last Saturday he won the Robert B. Lewis Stakes aboard Bob Baffert’s Plutarch.