Saturday Spot Plays

--Brian DiDonato

KEE 3 - Alw, 7f (AWT) - Maybe it’s crazy to expect anything close to the 8-1 morning line quote on Ghostly Wonder, but well-regarded runners Twang and Green Mask should take their fair share of action, as could Augusta Road considering The Masters is this weekend (I know it sounds crazy, but watch him take more money than you’d normally expect). Dismissed as the longest shot in field of five first out at Arlington in June, 11-1 Ghostly Wonder dueled with the well-bet favorite before leaving him in the dust for a very easy 4 1/2-length score. Now I know what you’re thinking--beating four runners at Arlington isn’t any major accomplishment. But that favorite was Spot, who took the GII Swale last month. Two others won their next starts, including last-place finisher No Surrender, who resurfaced at Hawthorne Mar. 28 to romp by 6 1/2 lengths and earn a 92 Beyer. Ghostly Wonder earned a solid 79 Beyer for his win—which stacks up well with the rest of the field, and projects out to something in the 90 to 100 range by the old rule that young horses should improve 1 1/2 to 2 points per month of development. I’m not saying Ghostly Wonder is going to run a 100, but he can run a lot slower that that and still take this. Play: Win on #2 Ghostly Wonder (8-1).

KEE 9 - GI Madison S. - Turnbacks seem to be at a huge advantage going seven furlongs on the Keeneland Poly, and there are three in here that I strongly prefer over favorite Judy the Beauty, who I think is probably best going shorter. The most obvious of the three is Better Lucky--she’s a very nice turf miler, but is two-for-four sprinting and must be included. There’s also Byrama, who I’ve always believed is a better sprinter. She was very unlucky not to win this race last year as she was blocked for most of the stretch, and she makes the same cut back from a turf mile that she did last year, albeit for new connections this time around. The third horse I’m interested in is Eden Prairie. She cut back to just miss at 10-1 in the track-and-trip Raven Run in October, and has improved her speed figures markedly in three runs on the Fair Grounds lawn since. She also has the advantage of good tactical speed. Play: Win on #7 Byrama (6-1) OR #9 Eden Prairie (10-1) (whoever is higher in relation to their morning line), exacta box with #6 Better Lucky. DDs 6,7,9 w/ 8.

KEE 10 - GI Jenny Wiley S. - Speed has done extremely well on the turf so far this meet, and there isn’t an abundance of it here. Discreet Marq already would have been formidable anyway, but now she should be doubly tough over this surface. I was particularly impressed with her runner-up finish in the GI Matriarch last time Dec. 1. That was a solid field of older runners, and she gave locally based Egg Drop all she could handle to only get beat a nose. There are certainly others you have to use in exotics, but my money’s on Discreet Marq to make the lead and never look back. Play: Win on #8 Discreet Marq (6-1).

SA 6 - Alw, 7f - This is a pretty nice group of 3-year-olds. I really thought highly of Indexical last year—I loved his work at Barretts May, and though he could only manage a fifth-place finish with some trouble on debut at Del Mar in July, he returned the following month to break his maiden at 16-1 with the addition of blinker--two spots ahead of eventual Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner New Year’s Day. I can dismiss his close seventh after setting a slightly quick pace in the GI Del Mar Futurity, and turf route attempt when fifth last out in October’s Zuma Beach. Now he tries dirt for the first time, which seems likely to be his best surface, and should be right there with any improvement on his maiden breaker (I do worry that he’ll need a start off the bench, but the price should be right). Play: Win on #10 Indexical (12-1), exacta box with #4 Papa Turf, #8 Top Fortitude, #9 True Ten.

GP 9 - MSW, 1 1/16mT - This one’s admittedly a bit speculative, but Classy Kid will likely be an overlay in his turf debut for Mark Frostad. The 4-year-old showed early interest before fading to a distant fifth when unveiled sprinting here Feb. 28, but he never really figured to fire his best under those circumstances for a patient first-out trainer. By versatile, but usually better turf sire Lemon Drop Kid, Classy Kid is out of Grade III-winning turfer Dynamite Lass (Dynaformer), who never set foot on a main track. None of Dynamite Lass’s previous foals have been superstars, but they’ve definitely preferred routing and/or grass, and Classy Kid should follow that trend. Play: Win on #5 Classy Kid (20-1), exacta behind #1 Siete C, exacta box with #7 Knight of Valor, #8 Smart Spree, #10 Chunnel.

See Saturday's TDN for this week's installment of the Twinspires.com Road to the Kentucky Derby Showdown with Brian and Steve Sherack's picks for the Blue Grass and Arkansas Derby. Follow Brian on twitter @BDiDonatoTDN

Saturday Spot Plays

--Brian DiDonato

AQU 8 - GIII Bay Shore S. - I picked Financial Mogul in the GIII Gotham S. as part of the Twinspires.com Road to the Kentucky Derby showdown, and mentioned (click here) after his even fourth-place finish that I thought he might appreciate a cut-back in distance. He gets it here, and should offer plenty of value. The dark bay romped by 5 1/2 lengths at Saratoga last time he tried seven panels, and he shows some quick works since the Gotham. I’ll also use Favorite Tale, who has crushed weaker competition at Parx in all three of his previous outings and could get a bit disrespected here; and another turn-back in The Admiral--his sprint debut and seven-furlong maiden breaker two back were both solid. I’m against favorite Kobe’s Back--he’s just way too obvious and inconsistent. Play: Win on #3 Financial Mogul (8-1), also using #6 Favorite Tale and #7 The Admiral in exotics.

AQU 11 - GI Carter H. - I love Clearly Now here. He was plagued by tough trips last season, including when finishing a very good second over track and trip 12 months ago in the Bay Shore. He showed what he could do with a better trip when he took Belmont’s GIII Bold Ruler H. with a 109 Beyer Speed Figure two back, but nearly went down after clipping heels on the turn in the GI Cigar Mile before settling for a solid fifth all things considered. Seven furlongs is probably Clearly Now’s ideal distance, and I look for him to sit just off the speed before pouncing. I’ll also hope to be alive in the pick four to last year’s Carter runner-up Sahara Sky as well as GI Malibu runner-up Central Banker. Play: (Large) Win on #2 Clearly Now (5-1), also using #1 Central Banker and #6 Sahara Sky in exotics.

SA 4 - MSW, 3yo, 6 1/2fT - I have a feeling that first-time starter Designated can run a bit. The Pam and Marty Wygod homebred is out of a mare who had some speed on the track before dropping talented sprinter Idiot Proof, a debut winner, Grade I winner on synth, Grade III winner on dirt and second in both the 2007 GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint and 2008 G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen. He also finished second in a Del Mar turf sprint stakes try. Another half-brother also won his debut and did most of his work in synthetic sprints. By a top turf (and overall) sire in Smart Strike, Designated shows some strong works up at Golden Gate for Jedd Josephson. Josephson has excellent numbers in two relevant categories. He’s two-for-four when shipping down to Santa Anita, including a 13-1 stakes upset down the hill here in 2011 and third with a 17-1 shot in an optional claimer a couple of weeks ago. Josephson also has very strong debut numbers--he’s 17% with a $3.75 ROI from a large sample size over the past five seasons (stats courtesy DRF Formulator). Included in those debut winners is last year’s champion juvenile Shared Belief, who Josephson unveiled for the Wygods up at Golden Gate in October before he was sold privately. Play: Win on #6 Designated (8-1), exacta box with #5 Footstepsinbronze.

SA 7 - GIII Providencia S. - Favorites Diversy Harbor and Nashoba’s Gold are both talented fillies with tons of upside, but it’s hard not to take a shot against them here considering the much different pace scenario they’ll face this time from when they ran one-two in the China Doll S. last out. The pace was very hotly contested in that one-mile affair, but there’s only one confirmed front-runner signed on here: One More. One More graduated against $75,000 maiden claimers two back over a mile of this turf course, and set a relatively unpressured pace last time to annex a course-and-distance (1 1/8 miles) allowance Mar. 13. She certainly didn’t have the toughest of trips that day, but I liked how she finished and think she’s a little better than the speed figure gap between her and the top two choices would suggest. Now, besides a win bet on One More, playing this race could get a little tricky. I’ll definitely use One More and the chalks in horizontal wagers, but I’ll also try to get some bombs into the trifecta. Longshots Full Ransom and Savings Account could find themselves closer to a slow pace this time and at least one of them could hit the board. So I’ll play 10 w/ 4,5,6,8 w/ 4,5,6,8, and 4,8 w/ 10 w/ 4,5,6,8. I’ll also play a 4,8 w/ 4,8 w/ 10 w/ 5,6 superfecta (not sure there’s much point in playing a 4,8 w/ 4,8 w/ 10 TRI). Play: Win on #10 One More (6-1) and the exotics outlined above.

KEE 9 - GI Ashland S. - I’m not expecting the 15-1 she is on the morning line, but Rosalind has a big shot in here. The Ken McPeek trainee was a late-charging second in the GI Darley Alcibiades over this track and trip in October, and put in a similar run to be third in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies the following month. Fourth with a wide journey in the GI Hollywood Starlet, she had some excuses when third on seasonal debut behind last Saturday’s GII Gulfstream Park Oaks winner In Tune at Gulfstream Feb. 27. Steadied pretty significantly early, Rosalind was caught behind a slow pace over a track that favored speed for much of the meet. She’ll get tons of pace this time, returns to a synthetic strip, and sports a local bullet work. I expect her to have a say at decent odds. Play: Win on #8 Rosalind (15-1).

OP 9 - GIII Fantasy S. - I like two horses here and I’m going to try to get both of them on the board. I have to give Kiss Moon one more chance to run back to her excellent allowance score here Jan. 11—she set a very hot pace that day, but kept right on going to win by 9 1/2 lengths. A puzzling seventh as the favorite in the Martha Washington S. after that, Kiss Moon showed a little more life to be fourth behind a few of these rivals in the roughly run GIII Honeybee S. I’m not sure why Kiss Moon hasn’t been closer to the lead in her last two, but I expect she’ll be hard-sent this time—she adds blinkers and sports two quick works in the interim. Mufajaah returns on short rest since taking her second straight Mar. 23. She just has the look of a really talented horse—she won at will last out and there’s no reason she can’t handle the step up in class. I’m curious to see how hard they bet her. Play: Win on #5 Kiss Moon (12-1), exacta box with #4 Mufajaah. Trifectas 4,5 w/ ALL w/ 4,5.

See Saturday's TDN for this week's installment of the Twinspires.com Road to the Kentucky Derby Showdown with Brian and Steve Sherack's picks for the Wood Memorial and Santa Anita Derby. Follow Brian on twitter @BDiDonatoTDN

Sophomore Spotlight: No Factor

--Brian DiDonato

We saw longshot winners Saturday take both the Arkansas Derby and Bluegrass, but the races could not be more opposite in how productive they should prove come Kentucky Derby day.

While I picked Brilliant Speed to win the Bluegrass in my preview of the race, I do not consider him a contender for the Derby. I handicapped the race as if it were on turf, and the best turf horse won. Brilliant Speed’s two tries on dirt to begin his career were obviously at distances dramatically shorter than what he figured to be best at, but he never showed any life in those early events and has never turned in a reasonably quick work on dirt. Dynaformer can get very good dirt routers (Barbaro, Dynever, and Perfect Drift), but his runners will always be geared a little bit more towards grass. Brilliant Speed also gets a reasonable amount of surface versatility from his dam’s side, but performance always outweighs pedigree, and what he has shown on the track suggests that he is not well-suited for the Churchill Downs main track.



Brilliant Speed Gets Up. . . Barely                         (c) EquiSport

Brilliant Speed’s run in and of itself--rather than how it projects for the Derby--is hard to interpret. He put in a very visually impressive run from dead last and got his last three furlongs in :34.75, but the track was blatantly anti-speed all weekend, reminiscent of how it was two or three years ago. The Moss Pace Figures for the Bluegrass suggest that the pace was absolutely glacial, but I don’t think they can be taken at face value considering the nature of the surface. Brilliant Speed’s 89 Beyer Speed Figure was low compared to what other members of his generation have been running but, again, the number cannot be relied upon heavily because of the way the race was run and the surface over which it was run (Note: Beyers and Moss Pace Figures use the same track variant--so their interpretation of the speed of the track is identical). While Brilliant Speed was the beneficiary of a track that played to his running style, he took advantage of those fortuitous circumstances in impressive fashion--horses can have things go their way and still be given credit for good performances. Brilliant Speed will be dangerous when put back on the turf this summer in races like the Secretariat or Virginia Derby, just like last year’s Bluegrass place horse Paddy O’Prado was, but don’t expect much from him in Kentucky unless the track comes up muddy. Runner-up Twinspired ran more against the grain of the track than Brilliant Speed, but the worst race of his career came in his only dirt start. He is unlikely to factor on May 7.

Archarcharch Holds off Nehro; KY Derby Quinella?
(c) Horsephotos

Whereas the Bluegrass did not produce any serious Derby contenders, The Louisiana Derby featured what I consider to be the two most likely horses to get the roses. Both Archarcharch and Nehro have the right running style (somewhere between stalker and closer) to win the Derby and the necessary stamina for 1 1/4 miles, and the 98 Beyer Speed Figures they each received is the highest number earned in the final round of Derby preps. The respective trips of the one-two finishers were pretty much a wash; Nehro saved more ground early, but Archarcharch got the jump on him turning for home. The pace was fast for the first quarter, but the frontrunners were able to slow things down for the middle part of the race and should have had plenty left if good enough. This was a fairly run event--it did not feature the pace collapse that some seem to think it did. Going forward, I still prefer Nehro. He seems to have a bit more upside and room for continued improvement, although his lack of seasoning is cause for concern. Both colts are sired by stamina influences, but while Nehro’s siblings were better routers, Archarcharch’s dam was a pure sprinter. Nehro also galloped out in front Archarcharch. Both will be featured prominently on my Derby tickets, but Nehro’s still number one on my list.

The Factor’s performance was disappointing and obviously does not bode well for the Derby. I suppose it’s possible that his very dull effort can be explained by him displacing, but he never seemed comfortable rating. In what was supposed to be the true test of his stamina and ability to handle an adverse pace scenario, The Factor simply came up short. He is undoubtedly talented, but if he goes on to Churchill he will once again be very vulnerable. The Factor’s best hope in the Derby would be to send hard early. Under the right circumstances and on the right track, if he were to clear, he would have a chance to hang on for a piece late, but the likelihood of him being able to get the lead without any pressure is very low. Dance City doesn’t have the graded earnings to get into the Derby, but his performance was solid and much better than expected. One of the toughest trips in racing is to be the horse chasing the leader, but the way he dug in and ran on was very encouraging. Sway Away’s run was produced much too prematurely. He has not been given the opportunity to showcase the ability he flashed in the San Vicente in his last two, but will at some point--probably when turned back to a one-turn mile or seven furlongs.

The upcoming Lexington should be an interesting event featuring some runners trying to sneak into the top 20 in graded earnings. Check back later this week for a preview, and perhaps a discussion of the Jerome in New York if it draws an interesting field.

A Day for the Ladies

--Christina Bossinakis

After enjoying my first Apple Blossom day card at Oaklawn, I can honestly say I was given a real treat. Following a wickedly powerful storm that ripped through the area overnight Thursday, Friday dawned with a little sunshine, laced with a stiff wind. Oaklawn was already pretty packed by the time I headed through the grandstand on my way to the press box, which made me think, if this is what it is like on Apple Blossom Day, I can’t even imagine what the big day will bring. Each day since my arrival, I have a noticed more and more press appearing in the press box, so I assume we will have a full house for Arkansas Derby day.

Mariachi Band,
artwork sinaloamusic.com

Early in the card, I had my head buried in my computer with such intensity that I probably wouldn’t have noticed a troupe of dancing monkeys if they had made their way past my desk. But despite my single-minded focus (which is usually pretty impenetrable, by the way), something caught my attention. Was that music? Not only was it music, it was a Mariachi band, located on the track’s apron, that provided patrons a mean version of La Bamba. I’m not sure why, but I found it pretty amusing. I guess when I think Mariachi, I don’t instantly think Arkansas. And for the hunch bettors in the crowd, the winner of Friday’s second race was none other than Taco Don. Seriously.

As the day progressed, the sun gave way to clouds and it became seriously cold (and today I chose to wear a dress!). I have to say, one of my highlights of the day came a little later when the big man himself, Charles Cella, came up to the press box. It was very interesting how people’s reverence and respect for the man was palpable. The Cella family has been in control of Oaklawn for almost a century, so I must admit, I was pleased to have the opportunity to meet him.

Larry Jones, cowboy chic, and Old Fashioned, 2008
(c) Sarah K. Andrew, TDN

As for the big show, Havre de Grace was really impressive in the Apple Blossom, and really stamped herself the leader of the division. It’s really too bad it had to come at the expense of such a classy filly, Switch. At the press conference held soon after the winner’s circle presentation, Larry Jones strode in to the conference room toting a very large blanket of carnations. When asked how he was feeling at that moment, Jones quipped, "Them flowers are sure heavy." The man who is the definition of cowboy chic (at least he's mine) was certainly on his game, both in his training exploits and his ability to please the crowd. He not only is an immensely talented horseman, but he’s also a pretty entertaining guy as well.

Later for dinner, I joined the currently hot team involved with Thursday’s GIII Count Fleet winner Smiling Tiger and Road Ready, who took Friday’s Bachelor S. I must say, I was very entertained by owner Phil Lebhertz (he had a great day besides the Oaklawn win, you should congratulate him!) and Mersad Metanovic, who was also had a hand in selecting the winners. However, the one I was most pleasantly surprised by was trainer Jeff Bonde. Not that I ever had a negative impression of him, but he is a real hoot! (As they say, when in the south..) He too, was an integral part of the selection process and it appears there is a very good reason why the team calls him ‘golden eye.’ I think they have a very good chance to make some more noise in the Arkansas Derby with Sway Away.

Sophomore Spotlight: Bluegrass and Arkansas Derby Previews

--Brian DiDonato

   The complexion of Saturday’s GI Bluegrass, which will be run on Polytrack at Keeneland for the fifth time Saturday, has changed dramatically in recent years as it has become clear that turf horses excel over the surface. Half of this year’s field last raced on grass, and all but one entrant has tried the sod at least once in his career. The race has yielded quirky results, and giant pay-offs. The winner’s average odds over the last four years is 17.8-1. Two runners from Polytrack runnings of the Bluegrass have gone on to hit the board in the Derby. Street Sense, who was second in a three-way photo in 2007, obviously went on to win. He had serious dirt form, though, having taken the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile under the Twin Spires the previous fall. Paddy O’Prado was second last year before finishing third in the Derby, but his Derby performance was aided by the sloppy surface and he would go on to do his best work on the lawn.

Santiva gallops over the Poly (c) Wendy Wooley/EquiSport

   Favored Santiva seems to be the most versatile runner in the group. Second while still a maiden over this strip in the GI Breeders’ Futurity last term, he took the GII Kentucky Jockey Club in Louisville to end 2010 and was second in the GII Risen Star at Fair Grounds in his only other outing this year. Up until the Risen Star, the biggest knock on Santiva was his low Beyer Speed Figures, but the drastically improved 91 he earned in his sophomore debut stands out in this group. An impressive winning performance would probably make him a Derby contender. If you are inclined to wager on an event like this, however, it’s hard to take a short price--especially on a horse who has a propensity to run second (5:1-3-1 record) and in a race where the recent results have been head-scratchers.

   Brilliant Speed doesn’t look like much on paper, but further examination into his form yields some interesting findings. In his first start on firm turf at the end of 2010, the Live Oak homebred beat Extensive, who would later finish one slot behind Spiral winner Animal Kingdom in a Gulfstream allowance before taking a listed stake at Tampa last Saturday. Brilliant Speed was stepped right up into the Dania Beach on the turf at Gulfstream off his maiden win, and came just a nose short after getting stuck behind a wall of horses in the lane and having to alter course significantly to find racing room. Also-rans in that heat include Rushaway winner Swift Warrior and fellow Bluegrass competitor Twinspired. Brilliant Speed last appeared in the Hallandale Beach and finished third, beaten only a neck. Stablemate King Congie--also entered in the Bluegrass--came out significantly on Brilliant Speed in the lane, however, and was demoted from first to third. Once again, Brilliant Speed was best but didn’t make it into the winner’s circle. As a son of Dynaformer, Brilliant Speed should appreciate the added ground. He is out of an unraced Gone West mare who sold for $1.45M as a yearling and who herself is out of a GISP half-sister to Belmont and Haskell winner Touch Gold and Canadian champion 3-year-old and MGSW With Approval. Brilliant Speed’s form coming into this race also resembles that of stablemate Arthur’s Tale, who was a narrow second in last weekend’s Wood Memorial for Tom Albertrani.

Sensational Slam (outside) gets up in Capossela
(c) Jessie Holmes/EquiSport

   Team Valor’s Crimson China, already a winner over Polytrack last year at Wolverhampton, showed an impressive late kick in his first U.S. start over the Gulfstream sod at this distance in February and garnered the “TDN Rising Star” tag for that allowance win. He then overcame a significant pace disadvantage over a similar surface at Turfway in the Rushaway. Last early, Crimson China finished second in a race dominated by speed. He is very well-suited for this race, but might be at the mercy of a pace that doesn’t figure to be too hot. I’ve been on the Willcox Inn bandwagon almost as long as my savvy colleague Steve Sherack, but he’ll need to run much faster here to contend--not that he isn’t capable of it. His past foes--Animal Kingdom, Soldat, Santiva and Great Mills have all flattered him with subsequent efforts. Sensational Slam is a two-time stakes winner on Poly in Canada, and looked pretty good taking the Capossela at Aqueduct. In his only route attempt, however, he was ninth of 10 in the With Anticipation over the Saratoga lawn. With the added distance, his pedigree could go either way, but the chestnut appears to belong with these based solely on raw ability.

The Factor                                             (c) Coady Photography

   The Arkansas Derby is clearly The Factor’s race to lose and, with Uncle Mo’s flop last week, he might be the last hope to see a truly fast Derby prep performance. He is a legitimate talent (not that Uncle Mo wasn’t), but he is not without question marks. The Factor was not tested on the front end last time in the Rebel--”unopposed” is how the chart caller put it. Four runners are adding blinkers and could show more early foot, and Dance City’s early speed, according to the Moss Pace Figures, is comparable to The Factor’s, so perhaps the chalk will get a sterner front-end test this time. Representatives of red-hot sprinter War Front’s first crop haven’t been fully tested yet at nine furlongs or more. Soldat took the Fountain of Youth with an advantageous trip before finishing off the board in the Florida Derby, and a son of War Front broke his maiden at 1 1/4 miles in France two weeks ago, but a larger sample size must be available before we can conclude how much stamina the War Fronts will generally possess. It’s entirely possible that The Factor will once again run his foes off their feet in this spot but, until he proves otherwise, he will continue to be somewhat vulnerable as the distances get longer and the pace gets more crowded.

Nehro (inside) can't squeeze by Pants on Fire (c) Hodges

   At this point, Nehro is number one on my list for the Kentucky Derby. I already praised his runner-up performance in the Louisiana Derby in the first Sophomore Spotlight entry (here), and see him as having three additional advantages in this spot. Firstly, Nehro is one of only three runners with previous experience at the distance (Elite Alex was fourth behind Nehro in Louisiana, and Dance City broke his maiden at nine furlongs in the slop at Gulfstream). Clearly he relished the added ground last time, as you’d expect with his pedigree. His half-brother Saint Marden (Saint Ballado) was twice a winner (once in the GIII Discovery H.) at this distance and earned a 112 Beyer for a 1 1/16-mile allowance win. Nehro also owns a win over the track--he broke his maiden in very impressive fashion with a quick, sweeping move to win going away. His third advantage comes from the change in tactics he employed in the Louisiana Derby. Nehro was much closer that day, and his ability to keep The Factor in his sights on Saturday should help minimize that one’s tactical advantage. If Nehro can stalk in the second flight while one or two other runners pester the Factor, he should be able to run him down.

   Alternation has been very consistent--taking his last three starts, all routing, but was scratched from the Rebel after flipping in the gate. In addition to an attitude adjustment, he needs a speed figure boost, but his consistency and two wins over the track are positives. He too should love nine furlongs. Alternation is by top sire Distorted Humor out of the MSW and MGSP router Alternate (Seattle Slew), who is a half to MGISW at this distance Peaks and Valleys (Mt. Livermore). Archarcharch has the stamina and consistency to hit the board here and/or in Kentucky, and Sway Away deserves another chance if he’s ridden more aggressively. With P-Val in the irons, that’s guaranteed.

Check back early next week for a wrap-up of the last two major preps for the Kentucky Derby.

Hello Oaklawn, Nice to Meet You

--by Christina Bossinakis

So, by the grace of God, I made it to Hot Springs last night, or should I say, more appropriately, morning. Following a delay from Newark (that’s a shocker, I know) added onto an already late flight, I found myself making the journey from Little Rock to Hot Springs shortly before midnight (Central time). For those of you who have never had the opportunity to visit Arkansas, be warned, the drive from Little Rock to Hot Springs (they swear it’s an hour but it’s not!) is a treacherous one. Negotiating the abysmally dark roads that never seem to run straight in the middle of the night is a very bad idea. Trust me.

After catching my first glimpse of daylight, Arkansas style, I made my initial foray to Oaklawn Park. I must admit, I’ve been to my fair share of Thoroughbred racetracks in my lifetime, however, I will go on record to say that after only one day at the Oaklawn Park, the Hot Springs oval would certainly rank among my favorites in this country. The attention to customer service here is really something to be applauded, and many tracks around the country would be well served to emulate their attention and dedication to accommodating the patron.

CBoss Photo

  I had the opportunity to speak to Oaklawn’s General Manager Eric Jackson and David Longinotti, assistant general manager/racing today, and they couldn't have been more gracious and helpful. In fact, even before my arrival here, Jen Hoyt from Media relations was wonderfully helpful in setting me up with all the necessities of the press, and was equally helpful following my arrival. Also instrumental in getting me orientated during my first visit to Oaklawn was Bruce Emery in the press box. A real superstar at his job and a genuine gentleman.

As circumstances would have it, I was extremely fortunate to get my first glimpse of Oaklawn racing after officials decided to add the Wednesday card to the schedule in an attempt to make up for the eight days lost to bad weather earlier in the season. Locals seemed largely unimpressed by the turnout, however, my perception was that it was a really solid crowd for a mid-week card. But maybe that’s because I’m accustomed to the often anemic crowds at New York-area tracks. One thing I found very interesting was that, while chatting with a few of the Oaklawn patrons, I learned a few of them had traveled a very long way (in one case, the gentleman drove all the way from Texas), to enjoy a day at the races. I was mildly surprised to learn that Oaklawn is to the South what Saratoga is to the East and Del Mar to the West. I guess you can only really appreciate that fact when you make it to Arkansas for a visit.

My first experience at Oaklawn was capped off exactly as I would have scripted it--with D. Wayne Lukas winning the final two races on the card, including the Red Bud S. with Westrock’s Tidal Pool. Currently, he leads the meet standings by three wins, with only a few days left to go. I have faith in the King.


Tidal Pool
Coady Photography

It appears that the California contingent arrived at Oaklawn Tuesday and among them was The Factor, favorite for Saturday’s GI Arkansas Derby. I plan to head out to the back side Thursday morning and get my first look at some of the hopefuls for this weekend’s features. Also, as luck would have it, the racing Gods seem to have smiled upon me (not to mention the good folks at Oaklawn), because the forecast for the Racing Festival of the South couldn’t be better if it had been custom ordered for the final hoorah. The good word is that most of the connections of the top horses are slated to make it to Arkansas for the Derby and Apple Blossom, so the pieces seem to be falling in place for a great weekend of racing. Stay tuned..

Arkansas Here I Come

--Christina Bossinakis

So here it goes–CBoss making her debut on the TDN blog (and I’d like to apologize to everyone in advance for anything I may say!). Another first for me will come next week when I venture to Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs. I’m always supremely pumped when visiting a new racetrack (what can I say, I’m a racing fiend!), however, the quality of racing that will be offered over the course of the next two weekends is enough to get any horse racing fan’s blood pumping. I must admit, I’m very eager to get a first hand look at the spectacularly fast The Factor. When I asked about his 2-year-old crop while in Saratoga for last summer’s yearling sale, the Silver Fox (yes, I am referring to Mr. Baffert) said to me, “Make sure you remember this name--The Factor). Of course, I hadn’t heard about the colt at that time since he had yet to make it to the races, not to mention that it was the witching hour at Saratoga’s post-sale hot spot Siro’s, so it was highly unlikely that I was going to retain a whole lot from that night. In any case, time has proven that Bob was right on the money, and why he consistently ranks at the top of the game. The Factor is scheduled to arrive in Arkansas Apr. 12, and I will be not far behind.


The Factor   (c) Michael J Marten photo

 As always, the T-Train (who has been on fire of late and has the big horse--Uncle Mo--running in this weekend’s Wood at the Big A) is usually well represented in the big ones, and in this year’s Arkansas Derby Pletcher has Brethren, a half-brother to last year’s Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver. WinStar’s colt won the GIII Sam F. Davis in February, but weakened late to be third most recently in the GIII Tampa Bay Derby Mar. 12. The Tampa dirt is kind of an unusual surface, and I’m inclined to think Oaklawn might be a little more favorable to his running style. An interesting side note–Super Saver also finished third in Tampa’s Derby before finishing a close-up second in Arkansas prior to taking down the big one in Kentucky. Food for thought.. Also represented in a number of the Racing Festival’s marquee events is D. Wayne Lukas, who stands at the top of the training ranks heading into the final stretch of the meet. There are always the critics (you know who you are), but one thing I’ve come to appreciate over the last couple of decades is to never count out the King. One more thing, Miss Match (Arg), winner of the Mar. 12 GI Santa Margarita, is said to be headed to next Friday’s GI Apple Blossom, and the word on the street is that some of her Australian connections might being making it out to watch her run. I must say, I love this game for many reasons, one of which is its international flare. I so enjoy, and appreciate, the convergence of our friends from abroad for the big events. And believe me, for those of you who haven’t had the opportunity to hang with the Aussies, they’re a real trip. They work hard and play harder. Will let you know how it all shakes out. That’s it for now, but be sure to check back for reports during my pilgrimage to Arkansas.