Risen Star

Risen Star (March 25, 1985 – March 13, 1998) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes in 1988. Background The dark bay colt was the son of the great Triple Crown winner Secretariat and out of the mare Ribbon. Bred by Arthur B. Hancock III and Leone J. Peters, Risen Star was bought by Louisianans Ronnie Lamarque and Louie Roussel III at the 1987 Calder Two-Year-Olds In Training sale. He was trained by Roussel, a devout Roman Catholic who was stricken by throat cancer but recovered. Ten percent of Risen Star's winnings were donated to the Little Sisters of the Poor, a Roman Catholic order of nuns. Racing career As a two-year-old Risen Star was lightly raced, winning the Minstrel Stakes at Louisiana Downs. Risen Star started his sophomore season by winning the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby under jockey Shane Romero. Then, two weeks prior to the Kentucky Derby he had another Grade 2 victory in the Lexington Stakes in which he was ridden by Jacinto Vasquez.