Oaklawn Barn Notes: Diodoro in Three-Way Battle for Leading Trainer Honors

By Jennifer Hoyt —-

Diodoro in Three-Way Battle for Leading Trainer Honors

The top of the trainer standings at Oaklawn is like a map of the stable area.

Immediately south of trainer Robertino Diodoro is the barn of Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen. Just to the northwest of Diodoro’s barn is the barn of Brad Cox, a rising star in the industry.

“They’ve got us pinned in here,” Diodoro said with a laugh. “We’re sandwiched.”

Through Thursday, the 32nd day of the now-55-day season, Asmussen, Diodoro and Cox remained locked in a tight battle for leading trainer.

Asmussen, seeking his ninth title since 2007, has 20 victories, one more than Diodoro. Cox, who led much of the meeting, is third with 18.

Diodoro said “he’s not necessarily surprised” to be the title hunt after finishing second to Asmussen last year at Oaklawn (Cox was third).

“We hit that rough streak recently, but we managed to get out of it,” Diodoro said, referring to a late-February slump. “We had two weekends of … we were all about ready to commit hari-kari here. Even though we’ve all been in it, that’s one thing a guy never gets used to. I think we’ve got things leveled out.”

Diodoro recorded his 19th meet victory in Thursday’s ninth race with odds-on favorite Pete’s Play Call ($3.40), who is owned by the trainer’s major client, M and M Racing (Mike Sisk).

M and M leads the owner’s standings with 16 victories, six more than four-time defending champion Danny Caldwell.

“Just keep running ’em at them and keep working,” Diodoro said. “Got a good crew put together. I always say after 8-10 horses, you better have a good crew or it doesn’t matter how much animal and money you have behind you.”

Diodoro has leaned heavily on claimers for his success this year at Oaklawn, but his barn is expected to welcome a major stakes winner later this month. The trainer said Inside Straight, winner of last year’s $750,000 Oaklawn Handicap (G2), is scheduled to arrive March 16 after being based this winter at Turf Paradise, the trainer’s home track. Diodoro said Inside Straight is being pointed for the closing-day Oaklawn Handicap (April 14) after winning an allowance race last Saturday at Turf Paradise.

Ministry’s Little Sister

A half-sister to multiple Oaklawn stakes winner Ministry was born March 1, said Linda Robbins, a practicing veterinarian who owns nearby Starfish Farm.

The Arkansas-bred filly is by millionaire Tapiture, winner of Oaklawn’s $300,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) in 2014, out of Heated Debate, a 9-year-old daughter of Closing Argument.

“She looks a lot like her mother,” said Robbins, who owns the mare.

Ministry, a 4-year-old Arkansas-bred daughter of Ordained, won Oaklawn’s $100,000 Rainbow Miss Stakes last year and the $100,000 Downthedustyroad Stakes Feb. 24. She has won her last four starts against state-breds and four of her last five overall.

Robbins said she hopes to run Ministry again at Oaklawn before the meet ends April 14.

“Trying to put her where she belongs,” Robbins said. “It’s a little scary.”

Robbins said she plans to breed Heated Debate to Ordained or Hamazing Destiny this year.

Heated Debate has also produced Hamazing Vision, a 3-year-old Hamazing Destiny gelding who only has one eye, and No Debate, a 2-year-old full brother to Ministry.

Hamazing Vision has finished second and fifth in state-bred maiden special weights events at the meeting for trainer Donnie K. Von Hemel. Robbins said she foaled Hamazing Vision, adding she believes the gelding lost his right eye after a “freak accident” when he was just a few weeks old.

“I’m thinking he ran into something or some crazy thing happened,” Robbins said. “He was three weeks old when the injury occurred. We probably treated it for 30 days and then it was decided there was no saving it.”

Hamazing Vision finished second against open company in a maiden special weights sprint in December at Remington Park.

Ordained and Hamazing Destiny stand at Starfish Farm.

Dawn at Oaklawn

Owner Staton Flurry of Hot Springs is the special guest on Saturday’s Dawn at Oaklawn, a weekly question-and-answer session hosted by paddock analyst Nancy Holthus.

The free program, which includes barn tours and complimentary pastries and coffee, is 7:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m. (Central). Flurry will be interviewed around 8:30 a.m. on the apron at the south end of the grandstand.

Flurry, 27, purchased his first horse, Let’s Get Fiscal, through a $12,500 claim March 23, 2012, at Oaklawn. He has won 11 stakes races with six horses, including five with grass standout Mr. Misunderstood and two with Imma Bling, a $25,000 claim Nov. 24 at Churchill Downs. Flurry’s other stakes winners are Five O One, Uncle Brennie, Patchofbadweather and Little Miss Flurry.
Five O One gave Flurry, who grew up next to Oaklawn in the historic Trivista neighborhood, his first local stakes victory in last year’s $100,000 Rainbow for 3-year-old Arkansas-bred colts and geldings. Flurry also owns a 2-year-old full brother to 2017 Oaklawn Southwest Stakes winner One Liner and 50 percent of unbeaten 3-year-old Exclamation Point (2 for 2 at the meeting).

Flurry, who has some five horses at the track, employs trainers Brad Cox and Karl Broberg.

Following each stakes victory, Flurry has the jockey autograph an action shot of the finish and collects one of the horse’s shoes from the race. The memorabilia is framed and hung on a wall in the media room of Flurry’s home on Lake Hamilton.

Flurry and his mother, Dorothy, own seven parking lots adjacent to Oaklawn that fans and horsemen use during the live season. Staton Flurry also manages rental property in Hot Springs.

Finish Lines

Chilean Queen became the meet’s third three-time winner in Thursday’s first race. … The surface was rated fast for workouts Friday morning. … Sonny Smack, a 3-year-old half-brother to multiple stakes winner Smack Smack, is scheduled to make his career debut in Friday’s sixth race for trainer Don Von Hemel of Hot Springs. … Nominations to the $900,000 Rebel Stakes (G2) for 3-year-olds, $350,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) for older fillies and mares and $300,000 Essex Handicap for older horses close Friday. All three 1 1/16-mile races will be run March 17. … Among the seven entrants in Saturday’s third race, an allowance/optional claimer for older sprinters, are Oaklawn stakes winners Uncontested and Rockshaw, Grade 2 winner St. Joe Bay, millionaire Rivers Run Deep and multiple stakes winners Imma Bling and Recount.