Riser represents Bay Area in race at Churchill Downs

Riser has traveled from Golden Gate Fields to Churchill Downs for an ambitious goal: the Grade 3, $200,000 Twin Spires Turf Sprint on Friday’s Kentucky Oaks undercard.

Owned by Jared Chappell and trained by Blaine Wright, Riser has won four of nine starts, but hasn’t raced since finishing third in the Grade 3 British Columbia Derby on Sept. 9 at Hastings Park.

As a 2-year-old in 2016, Riser won his debut at Golden Gate Fields and was wellbeaten in three subsequent starts. He spent his 3-year-old season in the Pacific Northwest and won the Emerald Downs Derby.

“Jared called me two months ago and said, ‘I’ve got something I’m going to throw at you, and it might sound crazy,’ ” Wright said. “He said he’d like to run Riser in this race. I told him if he’s working well and doing well, we’ll go. He’s been tearing up the track.”

Riser’s 5-furlong workouts in 1:00.00 April 21 and 59.20 April 14 were the fastest of 54 and 64 drills, respectively.

Chappell needed to be in Louisville, anyway, as his brother is graduating from dental school there next week. And he bred Kelly’s Humor, who runs in the Kentucky Oaks.

“We took the rider (Aaron Gryder), the groom and everybody who’s had anything to do with the horse,” Wright said. “We’re here and we’ll try to blow the tote board up. Dreaming can be prosperous sometimes. Hopefully, we’ll represent Golden Gate Fields and Emerald Downs in fine fashion.”

Riser is 20-1 in the morning line for the 5-furlong race against a field headed by Grade 2 winner Bucchero, who finished a close-up fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, and Vision Perfect, who beat Bucchero by 5½ lengths in the Silks Run Stakes on March 18.