Oaklawn Barn Notes: California Connections Enjoying Time at Oaklawn

By Jennifer Hoyt —-

California Connections Enjoying Time at Oaklawn

It’s the race within a race.

Seven Southern California-based trainers have divisions this year at Oaklawn and through Saturday, the 22nd day of the scheduled 57-day meeting, Hall of Famer Jerry Hollendorfer and Phil D’Amato each had four victories to lead the pack. They were followed by John Sadler (three), Peter Miller (three), Peter Eurton (two) and Doug O’Neill (one).

Sadler, wintering at Oaklawn for the first time, notched his third victory with favored Edgeway, a 3-year-old daughter of Competitive Edge who was a sparkling front-running debut winner in Saturday’s first race. All three of Sadler’s victories have been for nationally prominent California owner Kosta Hronis, who was in town Saturday to watch Edgeway and his stakes-winning older female sprinter, Artistic Diva, make her 2020 debut in the $125,000 Spring Fever Stakes.

“We’re enjoying it,” Hronis said moments after Artistic Diva ran fifth in the Spring Fever. “Great racetrack. Great fans. We appreciate being here. We loved the first race. Edgeway looked really sharp. Diva just ran a little too fast that first quarter and didn’t have enough in the tank.”

Hronis, solely or in partnership, has approximately 20 horses with Sadler at Oaklawn. Hronis already had 19 starters and the meeting through Saturday and was tied for fifth in the owner’s standings. He’s been particularly active at the claim box, taking seven horses, including two in partnership, for a combined $261,000. Four of the horses, all solely, were claimed for a hefty $50,000. Hronis has also lost six horses through claims.

“That’s us,” Hronis said. “But we do that all the time, so that’s nothing new for us. We’re in town and we’re getting claimed on and we’re claiming. That’s part of the claiming game.”

Edgeway and Artistic Diva were ridden by Tyler Baze, another familiar face in Southern California who now rides regularly in Hot Springs. Oaklawn’s lucrative purse structure, the highest of any winter venue, helped lure former Southern California riding stalwarts Joe Talamo and Martin Garcia to Hot Springs as regulars for the first time in 2020. Garcia (16 victories), Talamo (15) and Baze (12) all entered Sunday among the top six in the jockey standings.

“I understand,” Hronis said, when asked if it was surreal to see so many names associated with Southern California racing in Arkansas. “You’ve got great purses here and a great fan base. This is racing country, so everybody wants to be part of this.”

As for that third winner, Edgeway ($5.60) ran the fastest 6 furlongs of the meet (1:09.05) after breaking from the rail. She had a series of swift works at Oaklawn leading up to her debut after previously breezing at Los Alamitos in suburban Los Angeles.

“Very excited,” Hronis said. “We knew she was special. It doesn’t always translate from the morning to the afternoons, but she looked like she’s a runner. We just hope she looks good tomorrow. We’ll keep her here and look for the next race for her. We’ll see how she comes out of it. We’re not going to push her. She’s 3, so when she’s ready, she’s ready. We’ll keep our fingers crossed.”

In 2017, Sadler and Hronis teamed at Oaklawn to win the $600,000 Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) for older fillies and mares with champion Stellar Wind and the $150,000 Northern Spur Stakes for 3-year-olds with Cistron. They also finished second in the $750,000 Oaklawn Handicap (G2) in 2018 with Accelerate, who was named the country’s champion older dirt male that year.

Richard Baltas is the seventh Southern California-based trainer with a string at Oaklawn. Baltas’ horses didn’t arrive until approximately 3 ½ weeks ago and he only had two starts at the meeting through Saturday. Hollendorfer has spent much of the meeting on site, while D’Amato was at Oaklawn Thursday for Rockin Ready’s allowance victory.

Hollendorfer and D’Amato entered Sunday tied for eighth in the overall standings.

A Fast Horse

Lykan is named for a line of uber-fast, uber-expensive sports cars. Lykan – the horse – is pretty fast, too, and his value may be increasing after a head victory in a Feb. 23 first-level allowance sprint for trainer Ingrid Mason, who also co-owns the Congrats colt with significant other Mike Waters.

Reunited with jockey Tyler Baze, Lykan ($43) ran 6 furlongs in 1:10.07 in his first start since finishing seventh in his two-turn debut, the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes for 3-year-olds Jan. 24. Baze also guided Lykan to his only other career victory, a 4 ½-length maiden score Oct. 4 at Keeneland.

“He’s a green horse that is still learning how to run,” Mason said during training hours Friday morning. “He’s just one of those kinds of horses. Tyler fits him really well. He got a pretty rough trip in the Smarty Jones. It was pretty bad, so you’ve kind of got to put a cross through that. I’m definitely going to keep him three-quarters.”

Mason said Lykan will be considered for the $125,000 Gazebo Stakes for 3-year-olds March 21.

Mason purchased Lykan for just $15,000 from her go-to sale, the Ocala Breeders’ Sales June 2-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age sale, in 2019. Mason found future Oaklawn stakes winners Sarah Sis and Marquee Miss, both campaigned by Oklahoma owner Joe Ragsdale, at the same sale for $20,000.

Lykan is a career winner of $116,375.

Finish Lines

Early probables for Saturday’s $150,000 Hot Springs Stakes for older sprinters, according to the Oaklawn racing department: Mr. Jagermeister for trainer Valorie Lund, Share the Upside (Steve Asmussen), Wendell Fong (Jeremiah Englehart) and Whitmore (Ron Moquett). Share the Upside and Whitmore ran 1-2, respectively, in the $125,000 King Cotton Stakes Feb. 8. Whitmore has won the 6-furlong Hot Springs three consecutive years. The Hot Springs is the final major local prep for the $500,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) April 11. Also on Saturday’s program is the $300,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3) for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles. The Oaklawn racing department lists early probables as Motu (Kenny McPeek), Raggedy Annie (D. Wayne Lukas), Ring Leader (Mac Robertson) and Turtle Trax (Ian Wilkes). Unbeaten Ring Leader (3 for 3) will be making her two-turn debut after winning the $125,000 Dixie Belle Stakes Feb. 15 in her last start. The Honeybee, which will offer 85 points to the top four finishers (50-20-10-5) toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Oaks, is the final major local prep for the $600,000 Fantasy Stakes (G3) April 10. Owner Alex Lieblong had hoped to launch the 2020 campaign of Wicked Whisper in the Honeybee, but he said his Grade 1 winner recently spiked a fever. … Weather permitting, the infield will be open for the first time Saturday. … Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen ($2,034,922) became the first trainer at the meet to surpass $2 million in purse earnings after winning four races Saturday, the 22nd day of the scheduled 57-day meeting. Asmussen won the third race with favored Impact Player ($4.60), fourth race with General Trev ($13.20), seventh race with Shocking Fast ($8.60) and the 10th race with favored Santos Dumont ($3.80), a Triple Crown nominee. General Trev, Shocking Fast and Santos Dumont were all in maiden special weights races, which were boosted $2,000 to $87,000 after Oaklawn announced a purse increase Thursday. The purse increase began with Saturday’s card. Asmussen set a single-season Oaklawn record for purse earnings last year ($5,644,609). He didn’t surpass $2 million in purse earnings at the 2019 meeting until Day 30. Asmussen, who entered Sunday with 23 victories, four less than leader Robertino Diodoro, is seeking his record-tying 11th Oaklawn training title. All four of Asmussen’s winners Saturday were ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr., who is seeking his seventh Oaklawn riding title. Santana entered Sunday with a meet-high 28 victories, seven more than runner-up and defending champion David Cohen. … Through Saturday, 176 claims at the meet had totaled $3,411,750.

-30-