Oaklawn Barn Notes: Pioneer Spirit Pointing Towards Essex Handicap

By Jennifer Hoyt —-

Pioneer Spirit Pointing Towards Essex Handicap

Multiple stakes winner Pioneer Spirit will make his next start in the $350,000 Essex Handicap for older horses March 14, trainer Robertino Diodoro said Friday morning. The 1 1/16-mile Essex is a major local prep for the $1 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) April 18.

Pioneer Spirit has won 2 of 3 starts for Diodoro since he claimed the son of Malibu Moon for $150,000 Nov. 2 at Churchill Downs. Pioneer Spirit launched his 7-year-old campaign with a front-running victory in the second division of the $100,000 Fifth Season Stakes Jan. 25 before finishing fourth, beaten 4 ½ lengths by Warrior’s Charge, in the $500,000 Razorback Handicap (G3) Feb. 17.

“In the first turn, he got bumped by Joevia,” Diodoro said, referring to the 1 1/16-mile Razorback. “He really hammered him and kind of took his position away. I don’t think we needed to be on the front end. If that didn’t happen, I think we run second. No one was beating Warrior’s Charge that day.”

Warrior’s Charge is scheduled to make his next start in the Oaklawn Handicap, but stablemate Night Ops is pointing for the Essex, said Brad Cox, who trains both horses. Also targeting the Essex is millionaire Bravazo for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas. Bravazo ran sixth in the Essex.

In his first start after being claimed, Pioneer Spirit won the $75,000 Tenacious Stakes Dec. 21 at Fair Grounds. Pioneer Spirit has bankrolled $131,500 since Diodoro, on behalf of Lawrence P. Roman, Heads Up Racing Stable LLC (Todd Fitch) and Lucky Dog Stables (Robert Green and Larry Nafe), claimed the horse.

“He came out of the race good,” Diodoro said. “That’s the main thing. A little cleaner trip, we would have been second, so there’s no reason why the horse doesn’t deserve to run in the Essex.”

Nominations to the Essex close March 5.

King of the Castle

Agent Bill Castle represents defending riding champion David Cohen, who entered Friday with 20 victories to rank second in the standings. Castle also represents another rider near the top of the standings, Orlando Mojica, who was tied for third in the standings with 14 victories through Thursday, the 20th day of the scheduled 57-day meeting. Mojica’s mounts had earned $783,829.

A native of Puerto Rico, Mojica, 38, is riding regularly at Oaklawn for the second consecutive year, and like Cohen rides extensively for Robertino Diodoro, Oaklawn’s leading trainer in 2020.

“I’m happy with my meet,” Mojica said during training hours Friday morning. “Diodoro is my most important barn, but I’m riding for other guys, too. Last year, I didn’t have a lot of opportunities because I was new, but I was still fourth-leading rider. That opened the door more for me this year.”

Mojica already has two stakes victory at the meet, taking the second division of the $100,000 Fifth Season Jan. 25 (Pioneer Spirit) and the $125,000 American Beauty Feb. 1 (Special Relativity). Both were for Diodoro. Mojica is scheduled to ride the Diodoro-trained What a Fox in Saturday’s $125,000 Spring Fever Stakes for older female sprinters.

Mojica is on pace to rocket past his final 2019 Oaklawn numbers – 28 victories and $1,218,466 in purse earnings.

“I’m very happy with the way things are going,” Mojica said.

Mojica said he will shift career gears after the Oaklawn meeting ends May 2 and will ride regularly at Indiana Grand. Mojica has been based the last few years at Canterbury Park in suburban Minneapolis.

“I want to go home,” Mojica said. “I’ve been going to Canterbury for three years. I did good. I made decent money, but the meet is too short. I’ve got a house in Indiana, near the track. I can be there eight months out of the year.”

Finish Lines

Oaklawn ($3,094,750) surpassed $3 million in claims at the meet Thursday, the 20th day of the scheduled 57-day season. There were 164 claims through Thursday. … Robertino Diodoro ($1,013,250) became the third trainer at the meet to reach $1 million in purse earnings Thursday. Diodoro entered Friday with a meet-high 25 victories. He has been Oaklawn’s second-leading trainer the last three years. … Three Technique is scheduled to work this weekend in advance of the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G3) for 3-year-olds March 14, trainer Jeremiah Englehart said Friday morning. Three Technique hasn’t started since finishing second in the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes Jan. 24, Oaklawn’s first of four Kentucky Derby points races. … Englehart said he’s shopping for allowance spots for stakes-winning 3-year-old fillies Maryanorginger and Critical Value, adding he would like to keep them separated. … Exclamation Point, runner-up in last year’s inaugural $250,000 Oaklawn Mile, is scheduled to make his 2020 debut in Sunday’s eighth race, an allowance for older horses at a mile. The half-brother to champion and 2017 Arkansas Derby winner Classic Empire will be making his first start for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen after previously being with trainer Brad Cox. Exclamation Point is co-owned by Staton Flurry of Hot Springs. … Weather permitting, the infield will be open for the first time this season March 7. The card will be highlighted by the $300,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles and the $150,000 Hot Springs Stakes for older sprinters. … Unbeaten Ring Leader remains on track to make her two-turn debut in the Honeybee, trainer Mac Robertson said Friday morning. Ring Leader won the $125,000 Dixie Belle Stakes Feb. 15 in her last start. … Champion Midnight Bisou is scheduled to break from post 6 in the $20 million Saudi Cup, the world’s richest race, Saturday in Saudi Arabia. Midnight Bisou won the $750,000 Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) and $350,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) last year at Oaklawn for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, a 10-time local training champion. … Multiple stakes winner Smack Smack has been retired, trainer Don Von Hemel of Hot Springs said Friday morning. The 9-year-old gelding, a homebred for country music star Toby Keith, was runner-up in the $125,000 Fifth Season Stakes for older horses in 2017 at Oaklawn and won 10 of 37 starts overall. He finished with $986,419 in earnings, falling just short of becoming the first millionaire for Von Hemel, 85, Oaklawn’s leading trainer in 1981. “That’s just a number,” Von Hemel said.

BREAK EVEN FAVORED TO WIN SATURDAY’S SPRING FEVER

Speed may or may not be a good thing in the $125,000 Spring Fever Stakes for older female sprinters Saturday at Oaklawn. That’s because five of the six entrants possess plenty of early gas, including 2-1 program favorite Break Even and defending champion Amy’s Challenge, the early 5-2 second choice.

The 5 ½-furlong Spring Fever goes as race 9 and headlines a 10-race program that begins at 1:05 p.m. (Central). Probable post time for the Spring Fever is 5:09 p.m.

Amy’s Challenge is looking to rebound from a disappointing performance in the $125,000 American Beauty Stakes Feb. 1 – her first loss in seven career starts at 6 furlongs or less – finishing a weakening fourth after dueling with Mt. Brave through a :21.81 opening quarter and a :45.44 half-mile. Amy’s Challenge is reunited with jockey Alex Canchari Saturday has a favorable post draw (4), trainer Mac Robertson said, for her second start since early May.

“I think I drew outside the real speed,” Robertson said Friday morning. “It’s not like she won’t rate. But 5 ½, she’ll know how far she’s running. I was glad I didn’t get the one hole.”

Amy’s Challenge established stakes records for time (1:03.10) and margin of victory (8 ¼ lengths) in last year’s Spring Fever, when she came from just off the pace under Canchari.

Break Even, 6 for 7 overall, will be making her 4-year-old debut for trainer Brad Cox. Unraced since late August, the speedy Break Even was a front-running winner of the $150,000 Purple Martin Stakes last March at Oaklawn and the $250,000 Eight Belles Stakes (G2) last May at Churchill Downs. She is scheduled to break from post 3.

Also inside Amy’s Challenge are stakes-winners Mt. Brave (post 2) for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen and Artistic Diva, a Southern California shipper for trainer John Sadler. Artistic Diva, who drew the rail, exits a front-running 1 ¼-length allowance victory Sept. 13 at Los Alamitos. A fifth stakes winner in the field, Midnight Fantasy, also has early speed.

What a Fox will be making her stakes debut for leading trainer Robertino Diodoro and owner Lawrence P. Roman after being claimed for $50,000 Oct. 6 at Keeneland. What a Fox is 2 for 2 this year at Oaklawn, coming from just off the pace in both allowance victories.

“On paper, it’s a Quarter-Horse race,” Diodoro said Friday morning. “There’s some wicked speed in there. On paper, it looks like it sets up perfect. Unfortunately, the race is run on dirt. We’ll find out what happens.”

The Spring Fever field from the rail out: Artistic Diva, Tyler Baze to ride, 115 pounds, 9-2 on the morning line; Mt. Brave, Ricardo Santana Jr., 115, 9-2; Break Even, Joe Talamo, 115, 2-1; Amy’s Challenge, Alex Canchari, 115, 5-2; Midnight Fantasy, Martin Garcia, 115, 8-1; and What a Fox, Orlando Mojica, 122, 5-1.

For more information, visit www.oaklawn.com or call 501-623-4411. Oaklawn – A New Level of Racing.