Oaklawn Barn Notes: Trainer Tom Howard Passes Saturday; Announces 2nd Purse Increase of Season

By Jennifer Hoyt —-

Trainer Tom Howard Passes Saturday

Trainer Tom Howard, best known for developing multiple stakes-winning sprinter Ivan Fallunovalot, died from complications of cancer Saturday night at his Hot Springs home. He was 70.

Howard was diagnosed with liver cancer earlier this year and died just hours after Ivan Fallunovalot, a former claimer owned by longtime client Lewis Mathews, finished third in Oaklawn’s $125,000 Hot Springs Stakes to increase his career earnings to $998,903.

Mathews said Howard had hoped to watch the Hot Springs from a golf cart parked on the south grandstand apron (he did that for the $125,000 King Cotton Stakes Feb. 3), but his body was too weak following a recent round of chemotherapy.

“He had been struggling the last few weeks,” said Mathews, a Bismarck, Ark., businessman who had horses with Howard for 14 years. “He was just living for Ivan’s next race, and Ivan has been such a storybook story. I was really concerned that after the race, regardless of how it turned out … I didn’t know if it would be the same day. It was not totally unexpected. Unfortunate, but not totally unexpected.”

A former assistant under six-time Oaklawn training champion Cole Norman, Howard had 148 victories from 1,122 starters and purse earnings of $3,848,116 since 2003, according to Equibase, racing’s official data gathering organization.

In addition to Ivan Fallunovalot, an 8-year-old gelded son of Valid Expectations, Howard’s best horses included Grade 3 winner and Oaklawn-raced Rocket Twentyone for prominent Arkansas businessman Frank Fletcher and Oaklawn stakes winners Heart Appeal, Stormin Suzy and Ain’t He a Pistol.

Rocket Twentyone captured the $100,000 Arlington-Washington Lassie Stakes (G3) in 2011 at Arlington Park before running in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) in her next start.

Howard’s wife, Kathy, a former jockey, is Fletcher’s racing manager.

“He trained for me for many years,” Fletcher said. “I loved him as a man and a trainer.”

The Mathews-owned Ain’t He a Pistol won the inaugural Nodouble Breeders’ Stakes for Arkansas-bred sprinters at the 2009 Oaklawn meeting Howard and Mathews also teamed to win two races at the 2009 Oaklawn meeting with the popular Commander Buck. The gelding recorded his biggest career victory in the $75,000 Independence Handicap in 2006 at Louisiana Downs.

“We had 14 years, had a good run,” Mathews said. “I grew up around horses and I’ve said he was the finest caretaker of horses I’ve ever seen. To me, he was the throwback to the old gentlemen trainers of 50, 60 years ago. He was laid back, low key. You had to push him a little bit, but I trusted him completely. It was a great partnership.”

On behalf of Mathews, Howard claimed Ivan Fallunovalot for $25,000 in March 2014 at Oaklawn. The Texas-bred gelding flourished under Howard’s care, winning Oaklawn’s King Cotton Stakes in 2015 and 2016, the $250,000 Frank J. De Francis Memorial Dash (G3) in 2016 at Laurel and the last four runnings of the David M. Vance Sprint Stakes at Remington Park.

Ivan Fallunovalot also ran ninth in the $1.5 million Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) in 2015, when he was named the Texas Thoroughbred Association’s Horse of the Year.

According to the TTA, the state’s official breed registry for Thoroughbreds, 1987 sprint champion Groovy ($1,346,956) and Texas Chrome ($1,033,262) are the only Texas-bred millionaires.

Ivan Fallunovalot (17 of 31 in his career) could have reached seven figures by finishing first or second in the Hot Springs. He ran second in his first two starts this year, a Jan. 14 allowance/optional claimer and the King Cotton.

“I’m sick about him passing away, but he was living for that race yesterday,” Fletcher said. “I think it broke his heart when Ivan didn’t win.”

Trainer John L. Hall had been saddling Howard’s horses in his absence the last few weeks.

Howard’s father, Sam, bred and owned Moon Lark, winner of the prestigious All-American Futurity for Quarter Horses in 1978.

Funeral arrangements were pending Sunday morning.

Looking Ahead

Oaklawn will present three stakes races Saturday, including the $900,000 Rebel Stakes (G2) for 3-year-olds and the $350,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) for older fillies and mares.

The card will also feature the $300,000 Essex Handicap for older horses. All three races are 1 1/16 miles.

A large field is expected for the Rebel, which is expected to include Southern California-based Solomini for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. Solomini, who will be making his 3-year-old debut, finished second in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) Nov. 4 at Del Mar.

Baffert has won the Rebel a record six times (all since 2010), including the 2015 edition with future Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. Zayat Stables, which campaigned American Pharoah, owns Solomini.

Locally based horses pointing for the Rebel include Combatant, Sporting Chance and Zing Zang, 2-3-5, respectively, in the $500,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) Feb. 19, and Higher Power, a Jan. 13 allowance/optional claiming winner.
Combatant worked a half-mile in :51.60 over a fast track Sunday morning for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.

High North, based at Oaklawn late last year before moving to Fair Grounds, will run in the Rebel, trainer Brad Cox said in a text message Sunday morning. Pryor, a dominant Feb. 19 maiden graduate, is under consideration for the Rebel, trainer Ron Moquett of Hot Springs said Sunday morning.

The Rebel will offer 85 points to the top four finishers (50-20-10-5) toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Derby. The 1 1/16-mile race is the final major local prep for the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1) April 14.

Among the horses expected for the Azeri are defending champion Streamline, multiple Oaklawn stakes winner Terra Promessa and Tiger Moth, Martini Glass and Sandy’s Surprise, 1-3-4, respectively, in the $400,000 Houston Ladies Classic (G3) Jan. 28 at Sam Houston.

The Azeri is the final major local prep for the $700,000 Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) April 13.

The Asmussen-trained Untrapped worked a half-mile in :50 Sunday morning for his scheduled start in the Essex, the final major local prep for the $750,000 Oaklawn Handicap (G2) April 14.

Cox said either Leofric or Dazzling Gem, both owned by prominent Arkansas automobile dealer Steve Landers, will run in the Essex. Leofric finished second in the $500,000 Razorback Handicap (G3) Feb. 19. Dazzling Gem was a powerful allowance winner earlier on the card. Cox said only one of the two horses will run in the Essex.

Dazzling Gem worked a half-mile in :48.80 Sunday morning, with Leofric going in :49.60.

Finish Lines

Multiple stakes winner Farrell worked a half-mile in :49 Sunday morning for trainer Wayne Catalano. Farrell is a candidate for Saturday’s $350,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) for older fillies and mares, Catalano said. … Cosmic Burst (G3 $200,000 Honeybee) and Whitmore ($125,000 Hot Springs) emerged in good order from stakes victories Saturday, their respective trainers, Donnie K. Von Hemel and Ron Moquett, said Sunday morning. Cosmic Burst will be pointed for the $400,000 Fantasy Stakes (G3) for 3-year-old fillies April 13, Von Hemel said, with Whitmore scheduled to defend his title in the $400,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) April 14, Moquett said. … Newcomer David Cabrera ($1,039,658) became the second jockey to reach $1 million in purse earnings at the meet when Ohio-bred star Rivers Run Deep won Saturday’s third race, a stakes-level allowance/optional claiming sprint for older horses. … Imma Bling was claimed out of a fifth-place finish in Saturday’s third race for $75,000 by trainer Randy Morse.

OAKLAWN ANNOUNCES SECOND PURSE INCREASE OF THE SEASON

Hot Springs, Ark. (Sunday, March 11, 2018) – Purse records keep tumbling at the track with the richest purses in America between January and April.

Starting with the March 17 Rebel Stakes card, Oaklawn will implement the second increase of the season, the 18th straight year the Hot Springs track has bumped purses at least once during a meet. Overnight purses will be bumped between $1,000 and $3,000. Maiden Special Weights and Allowances races are growing by $3,000 per race, taking the Maidens to $81,000 and the Allowances to as high as $85,000.

Additionally, claiming races and maiden claiming races with a claiming price of $20,000 or greater as well as starter allowances are receiving a $2,000 increase. Other races are receiving a $1,000 bump.

“We believe Arkansas through Oaklawn may have the best racing-gaming model in America,” said Louis Cella, President of Oaklawn. “Racing will always come first, but thanks to our vibrant gaming business we are able to offer the rich purses that attract the large fields and adds to the excitement our fans get to enjoy. Even with a rainy February, we still treated our guests to a one-of-a-kind entertainment experience.”

The March 17 card was already the second richest of the Oaklawn season with the $900,000 Rebel Stakes (G2) for aspiring Derby hopefuls, the $350,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) for older fillies and mares and $300,000 Essex Handicap for older colts and geldings. With the increase, purses are projected to be more than $2 million this day.

“We’re excited to reward our owners and trainers with the second purse increase of the season,” said Wayne Smith, General Manager of Oaklawn. “Our best races are still to come and we’re looking forward to watching the country’s best 3-year-olds prepare for the Triple Crown races.”
Live racing at Oaklawn continues through Saturday, April 14.