Oaklawn Barn Notes: Inside Straight Works in Defense of His Oaklawn Handicap Title
By Jennifer Hoyt —-
Wednesday, April 04, 2018
Inside Straight Works in Defense of His Oaklawn Handicap Title
Sunday was not a day of rest for Randy Howg’s Inside Straight, who took another step toward Oaklawn’s biggest two-turn race for older horses with a 5-furlong workout for trainer Robertino Diodoro.
Although clockers were not on duty, Diodoro said Inside Straight covered the distance in 1:01 in advance of the $750,000 Oaklawn Handicap (G2) April 14, a race the Super Saver gelding won last year.
Sunday’s work was the second local move for Inside Straight since he arrived in mid-March after being based this winter with Diodoro’s division at Turf Paradise in Phoenix.
Inside Straight worked a half-mile in :49.20 March 24.
“He’s doing awesome,” Diodoro, Oaklawn’s second-leading trainer this year, said Wednesday morning. “Like very, very, very, very happy with him.”
Diodoro said his go-to rider at the meet, David Cohen, will have the mount in the 1 1/8-mile Oaklawn Handicap. Cohen is Oaklawn’s co-second-leading rider this year.
In his last start, Inside Straight was a 1 ½-length winner of a March 3 allowance race at Turf Paradise.
Other horses scheduled to run in the Oaklawn Handicap include Grade 1 winner and millionaire Accelerate, Hawaakom and Blueridge Traveler.
Accelerate won the $600,000 Santa Anita Handicap (G1) March 10 at Santa Anita for trainer John Sadler. Accelerate worked 5 furlongs in 1:01.20 Monday at Santa Anita.
Hawaakom won the $500,000 Razorback Handicap (G3) Feb. 19 at Oaklawn in his last start for co-owner/trainer Wes Hawley. The 1 1/16-mile Razorback is one of three major local preps for the Oaklawn Handicap.
Blueridge Traveler finished third in the $300,000 Essex Handicap March 17 for trainer Kenny McPeek. The Essex is the final major local prep for the Oaklawn Handicap.
Post positions for the Oaklawn Handicap will be drawn April 11. The race closed Friday with 26 nominations.
Weights will be released Sunday.
Making Plans
Multiple Oaklawn stakes winner Streamline will make her next start in the $700,000 Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) for older fillies and mares April 13, trainer Brian Williamson said Wednesday morning.
The 1 1/16-mile race will give Streamline an opportunity to bounce back from an uncharacteristically poor performance in the $350,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) March 17, the final major local prep for the Apple Blossom.
Streamline finished last of eight, just the second time in 22 lifetime starts she’s finished worse than third. Streamline had finished no worse than third in her previous 10 starts in two-turn stakes races for older fillies and mares at Oaklawn.
The 6-year-old Illinois-bred daughter of Straight Line won the $100,000 Pippin Stakes in 2016, the Azeri in 2017 and the $150,000 Bayakoa Stakes (G3) Feb. 17.
“I think we’re going to go ahead and take a shot,” said Williamson, who trains Streamline for mother-in-law Nancy Vanier and Cartwright Thoroughbreds V LLC. “The only time off the board running here was last time, so we’re going to give her a try. I know it looks like it’s going to be a pretty tough race.”
The field is expected to be headed by Southern California-based Unique Bella, the country’s champion female sprinter last year.
Streamline finished second to future Eclipse Award winner Forever Unbridled in the 2016 Apple Blossom and was third behind Eclipse Award winner Stellar Wind in last year’s race.
Post positions for the Apple Blossom will be drawn Tuesday. The race drew 20 nominations.
Weights will be released Saturday.
Five of a Kind
Five-time defending Oaklawn riding champion Ricardo Santana Jr. rode five winners on Saturday’s 10-race card, including three for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, and moved closer to two career milestones.
According to Equibase, racing’s official data gathering organization, Santana has 992 career North American victories, with 397 coming at Oaklawn.
Santana won the third race aboard favored Mucho Macho Dan ($7.40) for trainer John E. Cox, fifth race aboard favored Bayerd ($5) for Asmussen, seventh race aboard favored Pure Shot ($4.40) for Asmussen, eighth race aboard favored Dixie Fever ($6) for Asmussen and the 10th race aboard Alina’s Image ($6.60) for trainer Karl Broberg.
Saturday was the fourth time Santana has ridden five winners on a single card at Oaklawn. He also five-win days April 11, 2013, Feb. 6, 2015 and March 12, 2016.
Santana, 25, has all but clinched his sixth consecutive Oaklawn riding title. With nine days remaining in the 55-day meeting, Santana has 54 victories, 20 more than David Cohen and David Cabrera, who are tied for second. Santana is also the runaway leader in purse earnings at the meet ($2,810,822).
Smart Guy
Smart Spree, who is unbeaten in three starts at the meet, is under consideration for the $400,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) April 14, trainer Norman McKnight said.
Smart Spree cruised to a front-running three-length victory in Thursday’s eighth race, an allowance/optional claimer, under Ramon Vazquez. Smart Spree covered 6 furlongs over a good track in 1:10.04, following up times of 1:09.50 and 1:09.84 in starter-allowance victories earlier in the meeting.
“He’s turned out to be a little trooper and a little champion,” McKnight said.
Asked if Smart Spree’s work is done this year at Oaklawn, McKnight said, “We’re not sure.”
“We’ll entertain the possibility of the sprint,” McKnight said, referring to the Count Fleet.
Smart Spree, a 7-year-old gelded son of Smart Strike, hasn’t run in a stakes race since competing in the final two legs of the Canadian Triple Crown in 2014.
After competing most of his career on a synthetic surface at Woodbine, Smart Spree has flourished in his return to dirt, bankrolling $102,000 at the meet and helping McKnight – in his first season wintering in Hot Springs – to a sparkling 15-7-7 record from 68 starts. The trainer has purse earnings of $472,013.
McKnight, sixth in the Oaklawn standings, was coming off his first training title at Woodbine in Toronto.
“We’re very pleased with the meet that we’ve had,” McKnight said. “When I first came down here, we didn’t get off to the quickest of starts. But I knew everything would jell together. We brought some nice horses. It’s just a matter of getting them into the right races, and they’re going to run for you.”
Smart Spree represented McKnight’s first Oaklawn winner, Jan. 25.
Finish Lines
The track was rated fast for workouts Wednesday morning. … Trainer Donnie K. Von Hemel has 298 career Oaklawn victories, according to Equibase, racing’s official data gathering organization. … Through Saturday, the 46th day of the 55-day meeting, 374 claims had totaled $5,945,000. … Trainer Brendan Walsh’s first Oaklawn starter, favored Lilt ($6), won Saturday’s first race, an entry-level allowance race for 3-year-old fillies at a mile. Lilt had been based this winter at Fair Grounds.