OAKLAWN KICKS OFF DECEMBER RACING WITH $150,000 ADVENT STAKES

By Jennifer Hoyt —-

HOT SPRINGS, AR (Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021) – Friday’s $150,000 Advent, Oaklawn’s first stakes race for 2-year-olds in almost 50 years, has drawn of a field 10, including unbeaten maiden special weights graduate Higher Standard for trainer Tom Amoss.

Probable post time for the 6-furlong Advent, is 3:46 p.m. (Central). It goes as the eighth of nine races for Oaklawn’s first of 66 scheduled live programs during the expanded 2021-2022 season.

Higher Standard, a son of super sire Into Mischief, was a 5 ¾-length debut winner sprinting Nov. 14 at Churchill Downs for Amoss. Higher Standard recorded a 5-furlong bullet workout (:59.20) Nov. 24 at Churchill Downs in advance of the Advent.

“Getting him ready to run at the Churchill Downs fall meet, he did everything right,” the Fair Grounds-based Amoss said. “We were really excited about our first start with him. First-time starters, sometimes they don’t perform up to standards and they need that race to learn from. He was a real pro. He broke very sharp. He took it to that field and he really won with ease. I don’t usually come back with a horse that quick off a debut win. But assessing our options, and hoping to get black type, this seemed like a really good fit.”

Advent entrants from the rail out: Charter Oak, Luis Contreras to ride, 117 pounds, 5-1 on the morning line; Kavod, Francisco Arrieta, 117, 6-1; Forty Stripes, David Cohen, 117, 10-1; Ruggs, Martin Garcia, 117, 10-1; Oro Azteca, Ramon Vazquez, 117, 10-1; B Sudd, David Cabrera, 117, 6-1; Sonnyisnotsofunny, Cristian Torres, 117, 15-1; Impulsus, Luis Quinonez, 114, 30-1; Cairama, Ricardo Santana Jr., 117, 5-2; and Higher Standard, Florent Geroux, 117, 3-1.

“I think outside posts at Oaklawn, the farther you get outside, the worse off you are,” Amoss said. “But I’m hearing the rumor that there will be a couple of scratches and it will be a more compact field, so I will say, based on that, it’s a good post to have. We’re an athletic and quick horse at the gate. There are a few others that are, also, and normally when you get into that situation, it’s nice to have that outside post to be able to kind of look over and see what everybody’s doing before you make your decision whether to continue forward or sit off the pace a little bit.”

Cairama, a supplemental nominee, will be racing on Lasix for the first time for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. Cairama cuts back to a sprint after finishing fifth in the $150,000 Nashua Stakes (G3) at 1 mile Nov. 7 at Belmont Park.

Ruggs was a three-length debut winner Nov. 15 at Remington Park for trainer Ron Moquett of Hot Springs. Ruggs is the first scheduled Oaklawn starter for Gun Runner, the 2017 Horse of the Year and North America’s leading freshman sire in 2021.

The inaugural Advent is among three 2-year-old races on Friday’s card, which marks Oaklawn’s earliest season opener in history. Oaklawn’s last stakes race for 2-year-olds was the split Ballerina for fillies April 5, 1973. Oaklawn’s last race for 2-year-olds was March 27, 1975.

First post Friday is 12:30 p.m. (Central).

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