2024.03.15 Oaklawn Racing Updates; Stakes Preview Whitmore & Purple Martin

Compiled by Robert Yates

For Immediate Release

Stakes Preview Whitmore & Purple Martin

Thursday’s first race at Oaklawn was all about family when trainer Andres Cambray saddled his first career winner,

Bump in the Night, according to Equibase.

Ridden by Lindsey Hebert, Bump in the Night ($16) finished a nose ahead of the Genaro Garcia-trained Valerie Blue in the 1 1/16-miles maiden-claiming event for 3-year-old fillies. Hebert is Cambray’s wife. Garcia is Cambray’s uncle.

“I really thought we had dead-heated or run second,” Cambray said Friday morning. “I was (watching) in front of the finish line, so I was at an angle. Genaro was there, too. We were standing together. He’s like: ‘I think you got it.’ I was like: ‘I don’t know. It’s kind of tight.’ He’s like: ‘Congratulations.’ I was like: ‘Let’s wait for the official results.’ I did it, so he gave me a big hug.”

Bump in the Night was the seventh starter for Cambray, 33, a native of Mexico who came up under Garcia and 2015 Oaklawn training champion Chris Hartman. All seven starts have come at the 2023-2024 Oaklawn meeting that began Dec. 8.

Cambray’s previous best finish had been a second with Saturday Starter, who, ironically, was beaten a nose under Hebert in a Feb. 11 event for $20,000 maiden claimers at 1 1/16 miles.

Bump in the Night, a 3-year-old daughter of champion Ghostzapper, was exiting a runner-up finish in a March 3 maiden-claiming event at Oaklawn. Cambray, on behalf of owner Kailen Glover, claimed Bump in the Night out of the race for $12,500. Cambray said Glover is the son of Tracey Glover, who had 80 training victories in 1983-2003, according to Equibase.

“Tracey got sick and he stopped training, so they gave me a shot,” Cambray said. “Tracey called my wife and asked if we would take a horse, Saturday Starter. He was running bad in Louisiana, at the Fair Grounds.”

After narrowly missing last month with Saturday Starter, Bump in the Night, racing for a $20,000 claiming price, gave Cambray his milestone victory.

“I was very confident that she had a good shot,” Cambray said. “I don’t know why. I just liked her. Lindsey does a lot of the work here, too. She helps me a lot. I just thought it was a good shot for all three of us. That was the owner’s first win, too.”

Bump in the Night is among four horses Cambray said he has in training. He owns three.

“I’m trying to pick up some more horses,” Cambray said. “I was kind of thinking of going to (Thistledown), but I don’t have any stalls there, so I’m a little bit in limbo right now.”

Bump in the Night was the 21st career riding victory for Hebert. Her first came April 16, 2021, at Oaklawn aboard Time Heist for trainer Ron Westermann.

Tax(ed) Day Saturday

Grade 2 winner Taxed is scheduled to make her 4-year-old debut in Saturday’s fifth race at Oaklawn, a $141,000 allowance sprint for older fillies and mares.

Taxed (the 5-2 program favorite) hasn’t started since finishing third in the $175,000 Seneca Overnight Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles Sept. 23 at Churchill Downs.

Trainer Randy Morse said he hopes Saturday’s race is a bridge to the $1.25 million G1-Apple Blossom Handicap for older fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles April 13. Taxed will be sprinting and facing older horses for the first time in her career.

“Getting her started,” Morse said Thursday morning. “I don’t know what to expect three-quarters. She’s never run that (distance). Entered her in a route race and it didn’t go.”

On behalf of owner Richard Bahde, Morse claimed Taxed for $50,000 out of Nov. 20, 2022, victory at Churchill Downs. Taxed raced four times at the 2022-2023 Oaklawn meeting, finishing second to Wet Paint in two Kentucky Oaks qualifying races, notably the $600,000 G3-Fantasy Stakes .

Taxed then recorded her biggest career victory to date in the nine-furlong $300,000 G2-Black-Eyed Susan Stakes May 19 at Pimlico. Taxed has five published workouts this year at Oaklawn in advance of Saturday’s race, the last a 5-furlong bullet (1:00.20) March 10. Sheis scheduled to break from post 5 under Cristian Torres, Oaklawn’s runaway riding leader this season.

“It’s not the most ideal situation,” Morse said of prepping for a possible Apple Blossom appearance in a sprint. “We’ll see how she comes out of this. If she doesn’t progress like we want, we won’t even look at the Apple Blossom. It’s a long year.”

A gray daughter of Collected, Taxed has a 2-3-1 record from 11 lifetime starts and earnings of $439,724.

Taxed is scheduled to face, among others, American Rockette for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott and prominent Arkansas breeder/owner Frank Fletcher, Backyard Money for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas and Oklahoma-bred standout for Palacein for trainer Scott Young.

American Rockette, a 4-year-old half-sister to millionaire multiple graded stakes winner Frank’s Rockette, returned from a long layoff to post a half-length allowance victory sprinting Feb. 11 at Gulfstream Park. Mott and Fletcher also campaigned Frank’s Rockette.

Backyard Money finished second in the $150,000 Carousel Stakes for older female sprinters Feb. 24 at Oaklawn. Palacein has won four of her last five sprint starts. Probable post time for the fifth race is 2:04 p.m. (Central).

Stakes Preview Whitmore & Purple Martin

Millionaire Tejano Twist bids for his sixth career stakes victory in the $250,000 G3-Whitmore for older horses Saturday at Oaklawn.

The Whitmore and $200,000 Purple Martin Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at six furlongs highlight an 11-race card that begins at noon (Central). Probable post time for the Purple Martin, the seventh race, is 3:10 p.m. Probable post time for the Whitmore, race 9, is 4:23 p.m.

The Whitmore is the final major local prep for the $500,000 G3-Count Fleet Sprint Handicap April 13. Both races are 6 furlongs.

A confirmed stretch-runner, Tejano Twist won the 2023 Whitmore before finishing third behind Skelly in the Count Fleet. Tejano Twist completed his 2023 campaign with a powerful five-length victory in the $150,000 Ring the Bell Stakes Dec. 9. He opened 2024 with a runner-up finish behind Skelly in the $150,000 King Cotton Stakes. With Skelly awaiting the Count Fleet, Tejano Twist is the 9-5 program favorite for trainer Chris Hartman and jockey Chris Landeros.

“Hopefully, we can repeat the thing,” Hartman said. “The horse is doing good. There’s no Skelly, so that’s got to help. I think there’s enough (pace). He makes his own pace. It’s just late.”

The early 2-1 second choice is Ryvit for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, who also conditions Skelly. Ryvit, facing older horses for the first time, finished fifth in the Ring the Bell before rebounding with a two-length allowance victory Feb. 23 at Oaklawn under regular rider Keith Asmussen, the trainer’s son.

Keith Asmussen also guided Ryvit to a front-running two-length victory in the $150,000 Bachelor Stakes for 3-year-old sprinters last April at Oaklawn.

“Very serious jump going from straight 3-year-olds to older, but obviously think the world of the horse,” Asmussen said. “Love being around him and couldn’t be more pleased with how he’s training.”

Steve Asmussen is also scheduled to send out multiple stakes winner Jaxon Traveler in the seven-horse Whitmore field. Fair Grounds shipper Surveillance finished fourth in the 2023 Count Fleet for trainer Keith Desormeaux.

The Purple Martin brings back Xtreme Diva, Blue Squall and Xtreme Smoke Show, 1-2-4, respectively, in the $150,000 Dixie Belle Stakes for 3-year-old filly sprinters Feb. 17 at Oaklawn.

Blue Squall, in her stakes debut, was beaten a nose for trainer Randy Morse, who is also scheduled to start Asternia in the projected six-horse Purple Martin field.

“(Blue Squall’s) doing well and the other filly’s doing really well,” Morse said. “I hate running both of them in the same race, but it’s a short field.”

Xtreme Diva is the 2-1 program favorite for trainer Mac Robertson.