Oaklawn Barn Notes: Fields for Presidents’ Day Stakes Taking Shape; Purse Increases

By Jennifer Hoyt —-

Fields for Presidents’ Day Stakes Taking Shape

Post positions will be drawn Friday for Monday’s stakes tripleheader at Oaklawn, a special Presidents’ Day program that features the first graded events of the meeting.

The Oaklawn racing office listed these 10 probables Thursday morning for the $500,000 Southwest Stakes (G3), Oaklawn’s second of four major preps for the Kentucky Derby: Bankit, Boldor, Cutting Humor, Gray Attempt, Jersey Agenda, Long Range Toddy, Olympic Runner, Six Shooter, Sueno and Super Steed.

Six probables ran in Oaklawn’s first Kentucky Derby points prep, the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes Jan. 25. Gray Attempt, who is trained by Jinks Fires of Hot Springs, was a front-running neck winner of the 1-mile race, the colt’s first start around two turns and third consecutive victory. Long Range Toddy (second), Boldor (third), Six Shooter (fourth), Bankit (sixth) and Super Steed (seventh) also ran in the Smarty Jones.

Bankit, the Smarty Jones favorite, Boldor, Long Range Toddy and Jersey Agenda are trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen. Jersey Agenda was a powerful allowance winner Jan. 26 at Oaklawn in his last start. Six Shooter will be adding blinkers for the 1 1/16-mile Southwest, trainer Paul Holthus of Hot Springs said.

Olympic Runner was a front-running 5 ¾-length off-the-turf maiden winner Jan. 26 at Gulfstream Park for trainer Mark Casse. Sueno exits a runner-up finish in the $100,000 Sham Stakes (G3) Jan. 5 at Santa Anita for trainer Keith Desormeaux, who won last year’s Southwest with My Boy Jack.

Like the Smarty Jones, the Southwest offers 17 points (10-4-2-1) to the top four finishers toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Derby.

Expected to be entered in the $500,000 Razorback Handicap (G3) at 1 1/16 miles for older horses are All Out Blitz, Coal Front, Copper Bullet, Lone Rock, M G Warrior, Nanoosh, Nun the Less, Rocking the Boat, Secret Passage, Sonneteer, Souper Tapit and Tiz He the One. Sonneteer won the $125,000 Fifth Season Stakes last year at Oaklawn for Desormeaux.

Coal Front is a multiple graded stakes winner for trainer Todd Pletcher; Copper Bullet is a Grade 2 winner for Asmussen. Nanoosh won the $250,000 Zia Park Derby Nov. 21 at Zia Park in his last start for trainer Robertino Diodoro. All Out Blitz was fourth in the Zia Park Derby, while Rocking the Boat finished third in last year’s Razorback.

Probables for the $200,000 Bayakoa Stakes (G3) for older fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles include Auspicious Babe, Moonlit Garden, Remedy, Rose of Malibu, She’s a Julie and Sydney Freeman.
Doors open Monday at 11 a.m. (Central), with first post 1:05 p.m.

OAKLAWN INCREASES ALL OVERNIGHT PURSES

The track where purses have been steadily rising for 11 straight years is at it again. Oaklawn is increasing all overnight purses, some as much as $6,000, retroactive to the Thursday, Feb. 14 card.

Maiden special weights and open allowances are being bumped $6,000 and are now $83,000 and $87,000, respectively. Purses for all claiming races with a claiming price of $16,000 or greater, maiden claiming races with a claiming price of $20,000 or greater and starter allowances are being increased by $3,000. All other races are being increased by $2,000.

“We’re off to a fantastic start because the fans have responded to great weather and great racing,” President Louis Cella said. “We couldn’t be more thrilled with the response we’ve gotten in support of our new race dates. We opened later and had one of the best opening weekends in 10 years.

“We are mindful of the fact that bigger purses bring in the best horses and human athletes, which in turns brings out the fans. Our goal is to have the richest and most competitive racing product in the country between January and early May.”

The purse increase comes at the start of a five-day race week highlighted by a special Monday card in celebration of Presidents’ Day. The Monday card features the $200,000 Bayakoa Stakes (G3) for older fillies and mares, the $500,000 Razorback Handicap (G3) for older horses and the $500,000 Southwest Stakes (G3), the second of four races in Oaklawn’s rich series for 3-year-olds culminating with the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1).

“I think from a horsemen’s perspective this shows that the late start has been successful and was a wise decision,” Arkansas H.B.P.A. President Bill Walmsley said. “The horsemen are already reaping the benefits in the form of this purse increase so quickly in the season. It is both unexpected and appreciated.”

“It’s fantastic,” said Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito, who is spending his first winter in Hot Springs. “I’ve been praising the Cella family and their organization. They have a great organization and great people who work for them. And, now I think the horsemen are rallying around them. It’s a testament to how well you can work together in this business. It’s a wonderful thing.”

Oaklawn’s 2019 live meet continues through Saturday, May 4.

The Plane, The Plane, The Plane

A Breeders’ Cup winner was among seven horses that arrived early Wednesday afternoon following a flight originating earlier in the day in south Florida.

Several arrivals, including four for trainer Todd Pletcher, are ticketed for Monday’s $500,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) for 3-year-olds and $500,000 Razorback Handicap (G3) for older horses. The $200,000 Bayakoa (G3) for older fillies and mares completes the stakes tripleheader.

Pletcher’s four horses housed in the Royal Glint barn are Coal Front (Razorback Handicap), Cutting Humor (Southwest), Off Topic and Intrepid Heart, an unraced 3-year-old son of Tapit. Owned by Robert and Lawana Low of Springfield, Mo., Intrepid Heart was purchased for $750,000 at the OBS April sale of 2-year-olds in training. Intrepid Heart is a half-brother to Commissioner, runner-up in Belmont Stakes and sixth in the Arkansas Derby in 2014.

Joining trainer Mark Casse’s Oaklawn division were Shamrock Rose, winner of the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) Nov. 3 at Churchill Downs, and Olympic Runner (Southwest). The seventh arrival, Rocking the Boat, was for trainer Dale Romans. Rocking the Boat is scheduled to run in the Razorback, a race he was third in last year.

Several Southern California-based horses for Monday’s special Presidents Day program were scheduled to arrive Thursday afternoon following another H.E. “Tex” Sutton flight.

Dawn at Oaklawn

Jockey Stewart Elliott is the special guest for Saturday’s Dawn at Oaklawn, a weekly question and answer session hosted by Oaklawn paddock analyst Nancy Holthus.

Holthus is scheduled to interview Elliott, best known for guiding Smarty Jones to within a length of the Triple Crown in 2004, at 8:30 a.m. (Central) on the south grandstand apron. Elliott, who relocated to the Midwest this year to be closer to his Kentucky home, won Oaklawn’s Southwest, Rebel and Arkansas Derby aboard Smarty Jones, who was named the country’s champion 3-year-old male.

The weekly free program runs 7:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m. and features barn tours and complimentary pastries and coffee.

Finish Lines

The track was rated fast for workouts Thursday morning. … Multiple Oaklawn stakes winner Amy’s Challenge worked a half-mile in :48 after the renovation break Thursday morning for trainer Mac Robertson. … Jockey Joe Bravo said Wednesday afternoon that this will be his last week as an Oaklawn regular this year, adding he will move his track to Gulfstream Park. … Nominations to the $100,000 Downthedustyroad Breeders’ Stakes for Arkansas-bred female sprinters Feb. 23 closed Thursday. … Multiple Oaklawn stakes winner Havre de Grace and Oaklawn stakes winner Blind Luck are among nine finalists – five horses, three trainers and one jockey – for the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame’s 2019 Hall of Fame ballot. Trained by Larry Jones, Havre de Grace wintered at Oaklawn in 2011 and won the $150,000 Azeri Stakes (G3) and $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) for older fillies and mares en route to Horse of the Year honors. Trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, Blind Luck won the $300,000 Fantasy Stakes (G2) in 2010 at Oaklawn and was named the country’s champion 3-year-old filly that year. She ran second to Havre de Grace in the 2011 Azeri. … Oaklawn baseball caps, while supplies last, will be given away Sunday. Following the second race, fans can redeem the caps on the first floor of the grandstand through a voucher received when entering the building.