With his choice of mounts in two graded races Saturday, Gary Stevens picked a horse for the course over a Kentucky Derby hopeful whose trainer he calls a surrogate father.
Champagne for all after Streamline, with Stevens up, won the $150,000 Grade 3 Bayakoa in the slop at Oaklawn Park on the heels of Bravazo's Fair Grounds shocker in the $400,000 Grade 2 Risen Star under Miguel Mena.
Chances are that Stevens and Wayne Lukas, for whom the Hall of Fame jockey has won the Kentucky Derby twice, will do business again. Streamline's lesser known trainer, Brian Williamson, felt gratified that Stevens chose his 6-year-old mare over a 3-year-old Triple Crown nominee Stevens had ridden to an Oaklawn victory Jan. 13.
"Having Gary Stevens never hurts," said Williamson, previously winless at the meeting before Streamline scored her third stakes victory in 10 starts over the track. "It worked out good today."
Williamson especially liked Stevens got his mount's attention late after the Straight Line mare "got loose and lazy" on the lead after rallying from last of six.
"I actually made the lead about an eighth of a mile too early with her," Stevens said. "She fought it out. But she's got more in the tank, believe me. She is just an old pro, a pleasure to ride and a lot of fun."
Trailing the field was Farrell, 7-5 favorite on the strength of her front-running win in Oaklawn's $125,000 Pippin Jan. 13 but "no factor" (Equibase chart) in her second start over the track.
"Maybe she just didn't like the slop," said trainer Wayne Catalano, expressing no concern about the wet track -- "otherwise I wouldn't have run her.
"She's won on a wet-fast track. She was training good on it all week and I thought she would handle it," said Catalano. "But, today was just like the (Kentucky) Oaks (14th last year). She's proven she doesn't like this kind of track. She's fine. Channing (Hill, the filly's jockey and the trainer's son-in-law) took care of her."
Three-time Oaklawn stakes winner Terra Promessa finished a length and a quarter back in second in defense of the Bayakoa title. The 5-year-old mare poked a head in front midway on the second turn while Streamline, usually closer to the pace, was making up almost eight lengths.
"I had planned to attack Farrell early on ... and Farrell kind of got shuffled back in my face," Stevens said. "My mare settled for me and was just dragging me around there."
Terra Promessa, fifth in the Pippin and making her second start since July, "ran really good today," said jockey Ricardo Santana Jr., who along with leader David Cabrera had three-win days. "She is going to be really tough in the next race."
Torrent, a 4-year-old Blame filly produced by Oaklawn stakes winner Tidal Pool, finished third by one length over 11-1 longshot Sully's Dream. Her trainer, Ron Moquett, had three wins on the card and gave a thumbs-up to Torrent, a last-out Oaklawn winner owned by Arkansans Scott and Joe Ford (Westrock Stable).
"I'm trying to figure her out and she's trying to figure me out. But it's getting better," said Moquett, winning two races Saturday for Eric Johnson's Harlow Stables LLC and with $200,000 sales yearling Powerful Ally for Alex and JoAnn Lieblong of Conway.
Carrying 119 pounds, Streamline paid $8.40, $3.80 and $2.60 after a mile and sixteenth in 1:47.22. The Illinois-bred has earned $793,166 from 21 starts, including $635,000 at Oaklawn. Next up, said Williamson, is a title defense March 17 in the Grade 2 $350,000 Azeri with eyes on the Grade 1 $700,000 Apple Blossom Handicap April 13. Breeder Nancy Vanier, Williamson's mother-in-law, races Streamline in partnership with Cartwright Thoroughbreds.
Enjoy Streamline while you can.
"We didn't breed her this year because she was still so sound and good," Williamson said. "But after three or four years of hard racing, this will probably be her last year on the track."
Sports on 02/18/2018