Our Majesty returns for 2018 debut

Our Majesty, a 2017 Oaklawn debut winner, is scheduled to make her 4-year-old debut in Thursday's eighth race, a second-level allowance/optional claimer for older fillies and mares at 6 furlongs.

Our Majesty will be making her first start since finishing second, beaten 3 ¾ lengths, in the Grade 3 $150,000 Miss Preakness Stakes May 19 at Pimlico.

"After the Maryland race, she hit a growth spurt and looked like she needed to mature," trainer Ron Moquett, of Hot Springs, said. "She had never done anything wrong. I think that race took something out of her."

Our Majesty was a 5 ½-length debut winner last February and crossed the finish line first in her next start, the $150,000 Purple Martin Stakes last March at Oaklawn, but was disqualified and placed fourth for interference shortly after the start of the 6-furlong race. In her only other 2017 start, Our Majesty was a sharp first-level allowance winner last April at Keeneland.

Moquett said the goal for Our Majesty is to win a stakes race -- "Again."

"I think the growth spurt finally caught her, so, obviously, we didn't want to take a chance on hurting her," Moquett said. "We're glad to have her back like she was."

David Cohen is named to ride Our Majesty, a daughter of Majesticperfection who races for It's All About The Girls Stable LLC.

Golden Mischief, who won Oaklawn's $150,000 Purple Martin Stakes for 3-year-old female sprinters last year, returned to the work tab Sunday morning, covering 3 furlongs in :36.20 over a fast track. Famed Juddmonte Farm purchased Golden Mischief, unraced since late September, for $475,000 at Fasig-Tipton Kentucky's November Mixed Sale. Golden Mischief had been with Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen and owners Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt, but is now with Cox's Oaklawn division following the sale.

"She's just getting miles back underneath her," Cox said. "If she ran here, it would be late in the meet."

Dazzling Gem will be pointed for a third-level allowance race after finishing fifth in Friday's $125,000 Fifth Season Stakes for older horses, Cox said. Dazzling Gem, who has battled foot issues throughout his career, won his first two career starts in 2016 at Oaklawn in before finishing fourth in the Grade 1 $1 million Arkansas Derby.

"No more stakes for him for a while until we break that condition," said Cox, who trains Dazzling Gem for prominent Arkansas automobile dealer Steve Landers.

Oaklawn's two-turn stakes series for older horses continues with the Grade 3 $500,000 Razorback Handicap on Feb. 19. Cox and Landers do have a candidate for the 1 1/16-mile Razorback in Leofric, who won a third-level allowance/optional claimer Sunday in a meet-best 1:37.23 for a mile under newcomer Fernando De La Cruz. Leofric is perfect in four career starts at Oaklawn.

Sports on 01/16/2018

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