Oaklawn Barn Notes

By Ben Gibson —-

Decisions, Decisions, For Amy’s Challenge

Amy’s Challenge is scheduled to make her next start April 6. Whether it’s in Arkansas or Kentucky still isn’t clear.
After watching Amy’s Challenge work an easy half-mile in :48.20 Thursday morning, trainer Mac Robertson said he plans to enter his multiple stakes winner in the $150,000 Carousel Stakes at Oaklawn and the $300,000 Madison Stakes (G1) at Keeneland.

“That seems like the thing to do to me,” Robertson said.

Amy’s Challenge has been one of the stars of the 2019 Oaklawn meeting, setting stakes records for time (1:03.10 for 5 ½ furlongs) and margin of victory (8 ¼ lengths) in the $100,000 Spring Fever March 2 and another stakes record (1:09.32 for 6 furlongs) in winning the $100,000 American Beauty – her 4-year-old debut – by 5 ¾ lengths Jan. 26. She is unbeaten in six career starts at 6 furlongs or less, including the $125,000 Dixie Belle Stakes in her 3-year-old debut last year at Oaklawn. In her only Keeneland appearance, Amy’s Challenge finished sixth in the $250,000 Raven Run Stakes (G2) Oct.
20. The Carousel is 6 furlongs. The Madison, like the Raven Run, is 7 furlongs.

Entering both races will allow Robertson to assess field size, weather, etc.

Thursday’s breeze was the second published work for Amy’s Challenge since the Spring Fever. She worked over a fast track after the break to renovate the racing surface, going from the 3-furlong pole to the 7-furlong marker. Clockers caught her first 3 furlongs in :36.20 and galloping out 5 furlongs in 1:01.40.

“I was real pleased,” Robertson said. “I wanted it even like that. Been working wickedly fast.”

Amy’s Challenge has a 6-1-1 record from 10 starts overall and earnings of $359,156. The Kentucky-bred daughter of Artie Schiller is owned by Novogratz Racing Stables Inc. Amy’s Challenge beat males in her first two career starts at Canterbury Park, including the $80,000 Shakopee Juvenile Stakes in September 2017.

Show Him the Money

Trainer Jason Barkley’s second Oaklawn season is going much better than his first.

Barkley was winless in 16 starts last year in Hot Springs, but he moved to 4 for 27 at the meet following Strolling’s victory in a March 21 allowance sprint for older horses. Strolling collected $54,600 for the victory, increasing Barkley’s purse earnings at the meet to $157,030. The $91,000 purse represented the most lucrative career victory for Barkley, who went out on his own in 2017 after working under several trainers, including Hall of Famer Nick Zito and 2-year-old guru Wesley Ward.

“It was almost three times the highest purse I’ve ever won,” said Barkley, 29, the son of trainer Jeff Barkley. “I think the highest before that was the race he won opening weekend.”

On behalf of restaurateur Charles Jennings (Back Porch Grill in Hot Springs), Barkley claimed Strolling for $20,000 out of an Oct. 25 victory at Keeneland. Strolling was a Jan. 27 waiver-claimer winner in his 4-year-old debut ($34,000 purse) and finished second in an $84,000 allowance sprint Feb. 15. Barkley said Strolling’s past performance lines led him to claim the gelding, a winner of four of his last five starts.

“His dirt sprints were his only races he ran well,” Barkley said. “They tried him long on the grass, short on the grass, long on the dirt. But when you weeded out all of that, it got down to one thing he was good at. It was sprinting on the dirt. I think with a claimer, with any horse, but especially with a claimer, if you can find that niche, what they’re good at, you stick with it. That’s when you get the most out of them.”

Barkley said he plans to run Strolling again before the meet ends May 4. Barkley has approximately 12 horses under his care at Oaklawn and said he will stay until closing day.

“The money’s too good to pass up,” Barkley said.

Barkley’s stable bankrolled $188,027 overall last year when he won 11 of 81 starts. He saddled his first winner Oct. 6, 2017, at Keeneland. Barkley said he will be based at Trackside Louisville – Churchill Downs’ training facility – following the Oaklawn meeting.

The Next Road

Arkansas-bred star Hoonani Road will be pointed for the inaugural $200,000 Arkansas Breeders’ Championship at 1 1/16 miles May 4, the 4-year-old gelding’s trainer, Wayne Catalano, said Thursday morning.

Hoonani Road remained perfect in five starts at Oaklawn with a 2 ¼-length victory in Saturday’s $100,000 Nodouble Breeders’ Stakes at 6 furlongs. Ridden for the first time by perennial Oaklawn riding champion Ricardo Santana Jr., Hoonani Road covered 6 furlongs over a fast track in 1:10.11 to earn a preliminary Beyer Speed Figure of 84, a career high, and paid $2.80 as the 2-5 favorite.

“I always say: ‘Horses are good horses when they run good races,’ but they’ve got to run their race,’ ” Catalano said. “They’ve still got to go out there and do it.”

Catalano then mentioned War of Will and Serengeti Empress, beaten as odds-on favorites, in the $1 million Louisiana Derby (G2) and $400,000 Fair Grounds Oaks (G2), respectively, Saturday at Fair Grounds.

“They’ve got to go out and do it, still,” Catalano said.

Hoonani Road has never raced farther than a mile, but he does have two-turn experience after finishing fourth in the $75,000 Ellis Park Derby last August at Ellis Park. Like the Nodouble, the Arkansas Breeders’ Championship is restricted to state-breds.

“We’ll be coming back in there,” Catalano said. “We’ve got no choice, It’s the last one. Arkansas-breds, right?”
A son of millionaire and multiple Oaklawn stakes winner Jonesboro, Hoonani Road has a 6-1-0 record from 10 starts and lifetime earnings of $277,038. All five of Hoonani Road’s victories at Oaklawn have come against state-breds, including the $100,000 Rainbow Stakes last year. Hoonani Road is owned by Jerry Caroom of Hot Springs.

The Arkansas Breeders’ Championship is part of a closing-day card that also includes the inaugural $300,000 Oaklawn Invitational for 3-year-olds. The winner of the 1 1/8-mile Oaklawn Invitational will receive a free berth to the Preakness (G1), the second leg of racing’s Triple Crown, May 18 at Pimlico.

Dawn at Oaklawn

Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas is the special guest for Saturday’s Dawn at Oaklawn, a weekly question and answer session hosted by paddock analyst Nancy Holthus.

Weather permitting, Holthus will interview Lukas at 8:30 a.m. (Central) on the south grandstand apron. The interview will be held inside if there is rain.

The weekly free program runs 7:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m. and features barn tours and complimentary pastries and coffee.

Finish Lines

Motion Emotion, in company, worked a half-mile in :47.40 after the renovation break Thursday morning for trainer Tom Van Berg, who is pointing the 3-year-old filly for the $500,000 Fantasy Stakes (G3) April 12. Motion Emotion finished second in the $200,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) March 9. … Trainer Tom Amoss said Wednesday morning that there’s a “strong possibility” Chocolate Martini will return to Oaklawn for the $750,000 Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) for older fillies and mares April 14. Now based at Churchill Downs, Chocolate Martini was a Feb. 24 allowance winner in her 4-year-old debut. … Nominations to all Racing Festival of the South races closed Thursday. The Festival begins with the Fantasy and continues with the $500,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) for older horses, $750,000 Oaklawn Handicap (G2) for older horses and $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1) for 3-year-olds April 13 and the Apple Blossom and $150,000 Fifth Season Stakes April 14 … Oaklawn’s second Kentucky Derby points event, the $500,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) Feb. 18, is already a key race, with three of the starters returning to win stakes races. Long Range Toddy (third) won the first division of the $750,000 Rebel (G2) March 16, Gray Attempt (11th) won last Saturday’s $125,000 Gazebo and Cutting Humor (seventh) won last Sunday’s $800,000 Sunland Derby (G3). Runner-up Sueno also finished third in last Saturday’s $1 million Louisiana Derby (G2). … Jockey Jermaine Bridgmohan – 16 victories through Sunday in his Oaklawn debut – will ride at Arlington Park after the Oaklawn meeting ends May 4, his agent, Bobby Dean, said Thursday morning.