Oaklawn Barn Notes: Mike Smith to Ride Motion Emotion; Fields Taking Shape for Racing Festival

By Jennifer Hoyt —-

Mike Smith to Ride Motion Emotion; Fields Taking Shape for Racing Festival

When Oaklawn’s annual Racing Festival of the South begins April 12 with the $500,000 Fantasy Stakes (G3), a Hall of Fame jockey will be bidding for his fourth victory in the 1 1/16-mile race for 3-year-old fillies.

Trainer Tom Van Berg said Friday morning that Mike Smith will ride Motion Emotion for the first time in the Fantasy, the final major local prep for the $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) May 3 at Churchill Downs. Jon Court has ridden Motion Emotion in her last three starts, including powerful front-running victories in a Jan. 25 maiden special weights event and a first-level allowance Feb. 17, her first start around two turns. Motion Emotion again opened a clear early lead in her last start, the $200,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) at 1 1/16 miles March 9, only to be caught late by Chocolate Kisses.

“Just an unfortunate situation last time,” Van Berg said, adding he believed Motion Emotion would be tracking Raintree Starlet in the Honeybee. “Sometimes you get a little excited. I think the race before, she did it so easy on the front end … she’s very deceiving. She’s got such a high cruising speed.”

Smith won the Fantasy, Oaklawn’s biggest prize for 3-year-old fillies, in 1993 (Aztec Hill), 2011 (Joyful Victory) and 2012 (Mamma Kimbo).

Other early problems for the Fantasy, according to the Oaklawn racing department, include Brill, Destiny Over Fate, Lady Apple, Oxy Lady and Warrior Empress.

Post positions for the Fantasy will be drawn Saturday.

The Festival continues April 13 with the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1) for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles, $750,000 Oaklawn Handicap (G2) for older horses at 1 1/8 miles and the $500,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap for older horses at 6 furlongs.

Early Arkansas Derby probables include Galilean, Gray Attempt, Improbable, Last Judgement, Long Range Toddy, Omaha Beach, One Flew South and Six Shooter.

Gray Attempt, under Stewart Elliott, recorded a 5-furlong bullet workout after the first renovation break Friday morning for trainer Jinks Fires of Hot Springs. Breezing over a muddy track, Gray Attempt went from the half-mile pole to the 7-furlong pole in :58.60 and galloped out 6 furlongs in 1:11.60. Fires said Elliott, who won the 2004 Arkansas Derby on Smarty Jones, will have the mount for the major Kentucky Derby prep.

“I told him to just let him work like he wanted to,” Fires said. “He gives you everything you want. You can make him go faster than that, but you don’t want to. He’ll give you pretty much all you need.”

Gray Attempt is a two-time stakes winner at the meet, claiming the $150,000 Smarty Jones Jan. 25 in his two-turn debut and the $125,000 Gazebo at 6 furlongs March 23. Gray Attempt won both races in front-running fashion.

Also working after the first renovation break Friday morning was One Flew South, who breezed 6 furlongs from the gate in 1:13.40 under Hall of Fame jockey Calvin Borel. One Flew South is exiting a fifth-place finish in the $100,000 Mine That Bird Derby Feb. 24 at Sunland Park for trainer Doug O’Neill.

In addition to Long Range Toddy, Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen could start Jersey Agenda, Laughing Fox and Tikhvin Flew.

Long Range Toddy (first division) and Omaha Beach (second division) won the split $750,000 Rebel Stakes (G2) March 16, the final major local prep for the Arkansas Derby.

Expected starters for the Oaklawn Handicap include Giant Expectations, Quip and Rated R Superstar.

Quip won the $400,000 Tampa Bay Derby (G2) and ran second in the Arkansas Derby last year for trainer Rodolphe Brisset. Rated R Superstar won the $350,000 Essex Handicap March 16, the final major local prep for the Oaklawn Handicap.

Whitmore will be shooting for his third consecutive Count Fleet victory for co-owner/trainer Ron Moquett of Hot Springs.

Post positions for the three races will be drawn Wednesday. The draw will for the Arkana

Two more Festival races will be run April 14 – the $750,000 Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) for older fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles and the $150,000 Fifth Season Stakes for older horses at 1 1/16 miles.

Early probables for the Apple Blossom include Chocolate Martini, Escape Clause, Midnight Bisou and Wonder Gadot.

Midnight Bisou won the $350,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) March 16, the final major local prep for the Apple Blossom. Wonder Gadot beat males in the first two legs of the Canadian Triple Crown last year, including the $1 million Queen’s Plate.

Post positions for Apple Blossom and Fifth Season will be drawn Thursday.

Straight Shooter

The consistent Six Shooter is pointing for the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1) April 13, trainer Paul Holthus of Hot Springs said Friday morning.

Holthus said Six Shooter will work Saturday morning under David Cohen, who will also have the mount in the 1 1/8-mile race. Holthus has never had a starter in the Arkansas Derby, but his late father Bob, Oaklawn’s all-time leading trainer, won the race in 1988 with Proper Reality and 2006 with Lawyer Ron.

Paul Holthus said Six Shooter will be a long shot in the Arkansas Derby, but the Trappe Shot gelding deserves an opportunity after winning the $75,000 Big Drama Stakes Jan. 5 at Delta Downs and finishing fourth in the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes Jan. 25 and $500,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) Feb. 18 and third in the $125,000 Gazebo Stakes March 23. The latter three races, including the 6-furlong Gazebo, were at Oaklawn.

In the Smarty Jones and Southwest – Oaklawn’s first two Kentucky Derby points races – Six Shooter finished just behind Long Range Toddy, who returned to capture the first division of the $750,000 Rebel Stakes (G2) March 16. The Rebel is Oaklawn’s final major prep for the Arkansas Derby.

“Why not take a shot?,” Holthus said. “The horse is doing really good. He took a step forward off of the sprint race. I feel like he’s doing good enough to take a shot.”

Stewart Elliott has ridden Six Shooter in his last three starts, but he will ride Gazebo winner Gray Attempt in the Arkansas Derby, trainer Jinks Fires of Hot Springs said. Cohen, who entered Friday as Oaklawn’s second-leading jockey, has never ridden Six Shooter. The gelding races for N P H Stable (Holthus and wife Nancy), Dundalk 5 LLC (Tim Kindlon) and Wes Herek.

Dawn at Oaklawn

David Cohen, Oaklawn’s second-leading rider this year through Friday, and trainer Jinks Fires of Hot Springs are the special guests for Saturday’s Dawn at Oaklawn, a weekly question and answer session hosted by paddock analyst Nancy Holthus.

Holthus is scheduled to interview Cohen and Fires at 8 a.m. (Central) on the south grandstand apron. The weekly free program runs 7 a.m.-9 a.m. and features barn tours (7 a.m., 7:30 a.m., 8:30 a.m. and 9 a.m.) and complimentary pastries and coffee.

Fires is the trainer of multiple stakes winner Gray Attempt, who is pointing for the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1) April 13. Cohen is scheduled to ride Six Shooter in the Arkansas Derby. Six Shooter is trained by Holthus’ husband, Paul.

Finish Lines

Runaway leading owner M and M Racing (Mike and Mickala Sisk) swept Thursday’s early daily double, leaving it $32,378 away from setting a single-season Oaklawn record for purse earnings. Fueled by future Triple Crown winner American Pharoah’s victories in the $750,000 Rebel Stakes (G2) and $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1), Zayat Stables, LLC earned a record $1,275,541 in 2015. M and M entered Friday at $1,243,164. M and M won Thursday’s first race with favored Mr. Benz ($3.40) and the second race with favored Lucky Britches ($5.40). David Cohen rode Mr. Benz for trainer Karl Broberg and Lucky Britches for trainer Robertino Diodoro. M and M had 42 victories at the meet through Thursday. … Oaklawn surpassed 400 claims at the meet Thursday, the 40th day of the scheduled 57-day season. The 403 claims had totaled $6,605,250. On behalf of Clark Brewster, Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen claimed Grade 3 winner Curlin Road for $20,000 out of a third-place finish in the seventh race. … Trainer Larry Jones said Friday morning that he hopes to run unbeaten Whoa Nellie, a 3-year-old daughter of 2013 Kentucky Derby winner Orb, before the meeting ends May 4. After an extended break, Whoa Nellie returned to the work tab March 22. She won her only start Nov. 22 at Churchill Downs.