Kentucky Derby Future Wager favorite Pyro impressively won the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes by three lengths, silencing many of his doubters and vaulting him ahead of last year's champion War Pass as the leading Derby contender. Pushing his career statistics to three wins from six starts with $1,056,718 in earnings. Owned by Ron Winchell and trained by Steve Asmussen, Pyro relaxed off the pace and split his rivals in the stretch, drawing away to the wire. Longshot My Pal Charlie finished second, a half length ahead of Yankee Bravo. Second choice J Be K, Pyro's stablemate, finished eighth of nine.

Vision Racing and Team Valor's three-year-old colt Visionaire won the Gotham Stakes (gr. III) at Aqueduct in a strangely contested race through thick and heavy fog. The son of Grand Slam defeated Texas Wildcatter by a nose, and the pair finished 7 3/4 lengths ahead of longshot Larrys Revenge. Much of the race could not be seen due to the weather conditions, and the top two choices in the race, Giant Moon and Saratoga Russell, finished last and second to last, respectively. Michael Matz trains the winner who was ridden by Jose Lezcano.

The El Camino Real Derby (gr. III) proved a touching story when Autism Awareness, a California-bred longshot dismissed at 60 - 1 odds, ran away to win by 1 1/2 lengths in 1:43.17. The colt's owner, Johnny Taboada, has a son with autism, and the horse was named after him. Luis Contreras piloted the winner for trainer Genaro Vallejo. Autism Awareness paid $126 to win. Turf Paradise Derby winner Nikki'sgoldensteed finished second, a length and a half in front of Tres Borrachos, with Pleasure Grounds completing the superfecta. Favored Coast Guard finished eighth of nine.