Unbeaten Hoonani Road even-money favorite for $100,000 Rainbow Stakes on Friday

By Matthew Cox —-

Probable post time for the Rainbow, which goes as the eighth of nine races on Friday, is 4:42 p.m. (Central). Doors open at 11 a.m., with first post 1:30 p.m.

Hoonani Road is bidding to give Hot Springs native Jerry Caroom his biggest victory as an owner. Trained by Wayne Catalano, a protégé of the late Jack Van Berg, Hoonani Road is 2 for 2 at the meeting, breaking his maiden by 9 ½ lengths for a $20,000 claiming tag Feb. 10 and clearing his first allowance condition by 1 ¼ lengths March 16. The Jonesboro gelding led at every point of call in both races, which were restricted to Arkansas-breds.

Catalano said Hoonani Road “wasn’t quite ready” for his career debut, but he was entered because Sigma Nu – Caroom’s fraternity at the University of Arkansas – was sponsoring the seventh race Feb. 10.

“He had a class reunion coming over that day and Pat Pope hung up a late extra,” Catalano said, referring to Oaklawn’s racing secretary. “The rest is history. We didn’t have him well trained, for us. We did get lucky and breezed him three times and one of them was out of the gate.”

Caroom, who attended University of Arkansas 1980-1984, helped Van Berg jumpstart his career when the Hall of Fame trainer relocated from Southern California to the Midwest before the 2014 Oaklawn meeting. Caroom said Hoonani Road “was one of the last horses that Jack Van Berg selected with me” before his death in December. Caroom said he privately purchased the gelding from his breeder, Bobby Lee Hall, May 27.

Hoonani Road was a blowout winner of his career debut about two and a half hours before the Sigma Nu Alumni-sponsored race.

“The horse always showed talent,” said Caroom, CEO of XtraLight, a Houston-based company that designs, creates, invents and manufactures energy-efficient LED and traditional lighting. “I simply entered him to have one running that day for my friends.”

Caroom said Hoonani Road is named for a Hawaiian roadway where his company once did lighting work.

Hoonani Road is scheduled to break from post 5 under Channing Hill, Catalano’s son-in-law, and carry equal top weight of 122 pounds.

The projected nine-horse Rainbow field from the rail out: Zack Ridge Road, David Cohen to ride, 116 pounds, 5-1 on the morning line; Bebop Shoes, Jon Court, 113, 6-1; Spanish Avenue, David Cabrera, 116, 12-1; Ray’s Big Boy, Edgar Morales, 113, 50-1; Hoonani Road, Channing Hill, 122, 1-1; Suspicious Eyes, Richard Eramia, 113, 8-1; Spotitude, Ramon Vazquez, 122, 12-1; Hamazing Vision, Alex Canchari, 113, 20-1; and East Moon Lake, Alex Birzer, 113, 6-1.

Bebop Shoes will be making his career debut for trainer Jinks Fires of Hot Springs. Spotitude won his Jan. 12 career debut for trainer Al Cates of Hot Springs.

Suspicious Eyes and East Moon Lake were supplementary nominees to the Rainbow.