We recently helped Lee & Connie Erickson of Oregon acquire the grade 3-winning millionaire Rise Up as a stallion prospect after he had last raced at Remington Park in Oklahoma. Below is the text of the press release relating to Rise Up’s acquisition and retirement:
Grade 3-winning 2-year-old and millionaire Rise Up has been retired from racing and will enter stud in 2020 at Oregon’s Oakhurst Thoroughbreds as the property of Lee & Connie Erickson, who recently acquired Rise Up in a deal brokered by George Adams of Housatonic Bloodstock LLC.
Bred in Kentucky by Cottonwood Stables, LLC, Rise Up was originally campaigned by his breeder in partnership with Blazing Meadows Farm LLC, for whom he broke his maiden second-time out going 5 furlongs at Presque Isle while trained by Tim Hamm, prior to taking the 6 furlong $100,000 Mountaineer Juvenile Stakes by 4-3/4 lengths for those connections. Subsequently acquired by Paul and Andrena Van Doren and turned over to trainer Tom Amoss, Rise Up then scored by 6-1/2 lengths in the $200,000 Jean Lafitte Stakes going a mile, before his 6-length, wire-to-wire romp in the $1 million, Grade 3 Delta Downs Jackpot at 1-1/16 miles.
As a 3-year-old, Rise Up added the $100,000 Robert Hilton Memorial Stakes by 10-3/4 lengths at Charles Town going 7 furlongs, and closed out that season with a 3-3/4 length win in the one mile Woodchopper Stakes over a sloppy Fair Grounds surface. He was also victorious in the $100,000 Wild N Wonderful Stakes at 7 furlongs as a 5-year-old back at Charles Town.
“Rise Up gave me the greatest professional thrill of my career outside of this year’s Kentucky Oaks,” said Amoss, referring to the Delta Jackpot victory. “He had brilliant speed that he could carry two turns, and he showed up every time. I love that horse.”
In all, Rise Up won six stakes and placed in four additional black-type events, including the Grade 3 Texas Mile, while putting together career totals of (49) 12-12-5, for earnings of $1,232,136. His last victory came this year as an 8-year-old in a Lone Star optional claimer going 6-1/2 furlongs.
Rise Up is a son of the multiple graded stakes winner Rockport Harbor, who also sired Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies-G1 winner Ria Antonia. Rise Up is one of seven winners from seven to race from his dam, the Johannesburg mare Appenzell, who has also produced 2019 Hopeful Stakes-G1 winner Basin (by Liam’s Map, like Rockport Harbor a son of Unbridled’s Song).
“We believe Rise Up’s precocity and durability give him a great shot to be a very successful sire,” said Connie Erickson. “To win twelve races from 5 furlongs to a mile and a sixteenth, from 2-years-old through 8-years-old, including a million dollar Grade 3 by six lengths, it takes a heck of a horse to do that, and he should be a perfect fit for the Oregon program.”
Rise Up will stand at Oakhurst for a fee of $1,000 live foal. For more information, contact Connie Erickson at [email protected].