Epicenter could face much different rivals in the Louisiana Derby on March 26 than those he easily defeated Saturday in the Risen Star Stakes. Epicenter, under Joel Rosario, coasted to a front-running 2 3/4-length win in the Risen Star, getting 1 1/8 miles on a fast track in 1:49.03, which produced a career-best 98 Beyer Speed Figure. Epicenter on Sunday looked well, trainer Steve Asmussen said, and would walk the next two days before resuming racecourse training toward the $1 million Louisiana Derby on March 26.  “He’ll stay on a very similar schedule to his one between the Lecomte and the Risen Star,” Asmussen said.  Epicenter finished second in the Jan. 22 Lecomte after dueling on a taxing pace, but he and Rosario were able to dictate terms in the Risen Star. The colt, by Not This Time out of Silent Candy, by Candy Ride, worked three times (two half-miles and one five-furlong drill) between the Lecomte and the Risen Star.  Epicenter debuted in September and now has raced five times with a Beyer Speed Figure pattern of 64-80-87-88-98. As March approaches, he’s one of the fastest 3-year-olds in North America, has already shown he can handle nine furlongs, and is a robust, powerful colt seemingly capable of shaking off the rigors of the prep season for the Kentucky Derby, a race Asmussen, a Hall of Famer, has yet to win.  :: Take your handicapping to the next level and play like a pro with free Formulator, DRF's premium data product “He’s been doing in the afternoon what he’s showing in the morning – that he’s improving,” Asmussen said.  Risen Star runner-up Smile Happy on Sunday traveled back to Florida, where he was bedded down at trainer Ken McPeek’s Silverleaf Hills Training Center near Ocala. Smile Happy didn’t come close to Epicenter, but jockey Corey Lanerie found himself stuck in a tough spot with nowhere to run around the far turn and into the homestretch. Once Smile Happy saw daylight he fired home, earning a career-best 94 Beyer.  “He drilled the feed tub last night, looks fine. He’s going to settle in at Silverleaf Hills for a couple days, but probably will go back to Gulfstream to train,” McPeek said. “Absolutely no decision on his next start.”  McPeek said Rattle N Roll, who won the Breeders’ Futurity last October at Keeneland in his most recent start and is pointed toward the March 5 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream, could wind up in the 1 3/16-mile Louisiana Derby.    “It’s a three-week turnaround to the Louisiana Derby. I think he’ll love the 1 3/16 miles and he’s run well on a quick turnaround before,” McPeek said.  Zandon ran well to finish third in the Risen Star, where he leapt into the air at the break, forcing him to race from last. Zandon looped most of the field on the far turn while making just his third career start and he, too, earned a career-best Beyer, 93.  “I’m proud of his effort,” trainer Chad Brown said. “That big move probably took a little starch out of him at the end of the race. I feel like although it didn’t go as we hoped, we did get some things accomplished: More experience, fitness, preparation for his next start.”  That next start, Brown said, likely comes in the Blue Grass Stakes on April 9 at Keeneland.  Pioneer of Medina, fourth while beaten a head by Zandon, is a possible Louisiana Derby runner, trainer Todd Pletcher said via text message.   Risen Star fifth-place finisher Tawny Port hasn’t been ruled out of the Louisiana Derby, but is more likely for the $600,000 Jeff Ruby Steaks on April 2 at Turfway Park, where he won his two starts before Saturday, trainer Brad Cox said.   Cox could have picked up a Louisiana Derby starter Saturday in Cyberknife, who bounced back from a disappointing sixth in the Lecomte with a sharp first-level allowance win. Racing with blinkers off and Lasix on, Cyberknife won by three lengths over a potentially nice colt, Kupuna, who had three lengths on the third-place finisher.   Cyberknife ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.52, very fast for Fair Grounds and just .51 seconds slower than 4-year-old Olympiad’s track-record-setting 1:42.01 two races later in the Mineshaft. Olympiad got a 102 Beyer and Cyberknife just an 87 because the track variant was split on the card, the figure-makers deciding that dirt races through race 8 would have one variant, the later races a different one to account for what they believed was a slowing surface.   Cyberknife lugged in midstretch but raced less greenly than he had in the past and won without being asked by jockey Florent Geroux.   “I believe the talent’s there and mentally he appeared to really move forward yesterday,” said Cox, who will choose between the Louisiana Derby and the Blue Grass for Cyberknife’s next start.   Lecomte winner Call Me Midnight’s connections passed on the Risen Star to point the colt to the Louisiana Derby.   Rachel Alexandra Stakes If the main track was slowing later in the day, as the Beyer folks believe, it could help account for the Rachel Alexandra Stakes going in a modest 1:44.22 for 1 1/16 miles. Cox-trained longshot Turnerloose, making her first dirt start, got up to win by a half-length over Goddess of Fire, the winner getting an 81 Beyer.   “She came out of it good. We’ll look at the Fair Grounds Oaks or the Ashland” at Keeneland, Cox said.   Cox said he’s hopeful 3-year-old filly Juju’s Map, most recently second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, will breeze for the first time this year in coming days.  Goddess of Fire is possible to return for the Fair Grounds Oaks, trainer Todd Pletcher said, while fourth-place Hidden Connection seems a likely Fair Grounds Oaks runner.