Oaklawn Park's older filly-and-mare sprinters have been a contentious group this year with two different stakes winners and others calling on back class in strong local performances.
Even so, the only Oaklawn non-winner in the field of six may hold an edge in the $150,000 Carousel Stakes on the penultimate Saturday of the meeting.
Vertical Oak, a graded-stakes winner at Saratoga last year for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, tries to shake off the rust going six furlongs after six months' rest. Giant Oak's daughter placed in two 2017 Oaklawn sprint stakes for 3-year-olds, the Dixie Belle and the Purple Martin, before stakes victories in Iowa and in Pimlico's Grade 3 Miss Preakness. Her biggest victory came in the Grade 2 Prioress in upstate New York over a sloppy track, which she may encounter again after heavy rain Friday.
"Anxious to get her back going," said Asmussen, a six-time Carousel winner and pursuing his eighth Oaklawn training championship and fourth in a row. "Hopefully, it's a good spot. Hoping that she gets a better trip than the last time she ran here."
Ricardo Santana Jr., Vertical Oak's rider in 2-year-old victories at Saratoga and Churchill Downs, keeps the mount as he zeroes in on a fifth consecutive Oaklawn title.
Another who might welcome a wet track is Swing and Sway, who splashed home by 7 3/4 lengths in the American Beauty on Jan. 27 at the Carousel distance. The 4-year-old daughter of Maclean's Music then placed third in the Spring Fever at 5 1/2 furlongs March 3 over a fast track. Ron Moquett trains the three-time Oaklawn winner, a $185,000 sales purchase, for Little Rock owners Scott and Joe Ford's Westrock Stables LLC. David Cabrera keeps the mount.
"I think it's a quality field of sprinting fillies," said Moquett. "Obviously, Vertical Oak is a proven quality runner; Asmussen has them ready to fire. ... My filly is going to run big. Needs a good trip."
Also in the Carousel are last-out winners Mythical Tale (Gary Stevens up) and Impasse (Terry Thompson), multiple Oaklawn stakes winner Marquee Miss (C.J. McMahon) and Thoughtless (David Cohen).
Mythical Tale, posting a career-high 91 Beyer Speed Figure March 16, represents Brad Cox, trainer of 2017 Carousel winner Illussion Artist. She is the early second choice (2-1) to 9-5 program favorite Vertical Oak.
"We're excited about Mythical Tale," said Cox. "She's got to take a step forward. Obviously, a little bit tougher race than we ran in last time, but I think she's ready to step up into stakes company. Hopefully, she's going to get some black type."
Marquee Miss will scratch from the Carousel, if the track is off, trainer Ingrid Mason said Thursday.
The Carousel is Race 9 and scheduled at 5:09 p.m. Another Oaklawn race follows along with simulcasts of two major Kentucky Derby preps, the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Ky., and the Santa Anita Derby.
Oaklawn's annual boat-and-truck giveaway promotion coincides with the 10-race card, starting at 1:05 p.m. Oaklawn officials announced Friday the infield will not be open today because of inclement weather.
Race 7, at 4:09 p.m., is the $100,000 Arkansas Breeders' Stakes with 5-year-old Racer defending his title at a mile and sixteenth. Jon Court rides Racer for father-in-law Jinks Fires. Racer is owned by Val Yagos, husband of breeder Bob Yagos, of Jacksonville.
Stakes winner Five O One hopes to give Hot Springs owner Staton Flurry a bounce-back performance after placing third in the $100,000 Nodouble Breeders' March 3 as 2-5 favorite. This marks the two-turn debut for the Drosselmeyer colt, whose sire won the Belmont Stakes and Breeders' Cup Classic for Hall of Famer Bill Mott. Gary Stevens, himself a Hall of Famer, rides the 2017 Rainbow Stakes and early-season 2018 Oaklawn winner.
"Hopefully, he'll get the two turns," said trainer Cox. "Drosselmeyer, he did all his best running at a mile and a quarter and a mile and an eighth. This horse is supposed to go long. ... Hopefully, he'll carry his speed around two turns."
Five O One is 3-1 second choice with surprise Nodouble Breeders' winner J.E.'s Handmedown (Ramon Vazquez) at 6-1. Glacken's Ghost, the Nodouble Breeders' runner-up for trainer Mac Robertson, is the early 5-2 chalk (Alex Canchari), though parked in Post 10.
"He's run two turns and run awfully well," said Robertson. "He worked good before this race. I think he'll run a good race. I don't like the post. What are you going to do?"
Sports on 04/07/2018