Not only may Martini Glass return to Oaklawn Park on April 13 for the Grade 1 $700,000 Apple Blossom Handicap for older fillies and mares, but trainer Keith Nations said he could have a small string in Hot Springs for the first time in 2019.
Martini Glass, a former claimer, recorded her biggest career victory to date in Saturday's Grade 2 $350,000 Azeri Stakes, scoring by three lengths under Paco Lopez. Nations and Maryland retiree Vince Campanella are 50-50 partners in Martini Glass, who has won 10 of 23 career starts and earned $863,675.
Nations claimed the 5-year-old daughter of Kitalpha for $16,000 out of her career debut victory Feb. 20, 2016, at Tampa Bay Downs, where the trainer is based.
Martini Glass was coming off a victory in the Grade 3 $200,000 Royal Delta Stakes on Feb. 19 at Gulfstream Park. She also finished second to champion Songbird in last year's Grade 1 $750,000 Delaware Handicap at Delaware Park and second in the Grade 1 $500,000 Spinster Stakes last year at Keeneland.
"I can just tell she's just getting better," Nations said. "Just in her appearance, the way she looks, the way she's acting. She used to get really nervous on these trips and now she just jumped on the van and she's relaxed the whole way."
Martini Glass ($8.80) covered 1 1/16 miles over a fast track in 1:42.95 under top weight of 122 pounds. She had a three-wide stalking trip before easily moving to the lead on the outside turning for home.
Grade 2 winner and 9-5 favorite Actress finished second, a half-length ahead of multiple graded stakes winner Farrell.
"I thought it was a very tough field," Nations said. "It was a stellar field. To win the race and do it comfortably, it was very exciting."
Nations said Martini Glass will have an easy week of training this week, "then get serious with her the second week, and then we'll start to make plans" on whether to return to Oaklawn for the Apple Blossom.
Martini Glass is only the second horse Nations has started in Hot Springs. His first starter, Morning Fire, ran fourth in the $150,000 Bachelor Stakes for 3-year-old sprinters in 2016.
"We may strongly consider doing something here next year, just with a small string," Nations said. "We love Tampa. It's just a very relaxed and good lifestyle. But we've come here, and we love it.
"To go somewhere where horse racing means so much to people -- you can go to a lot of places and they don't care as much about racing, especially some of the casino race tracks. But this is a casino race track that is thriving, and the people keep coming. They love it. Somebody asked me, 'Do you like it here? What do you like most?' I said what I like most about it is probably the people."
Saturday's attendance, estimated at 37,500, was the largest for Rebel Day since 2005. Total handle on the 10 races was $10,771,984.46, a record for March and a non-Arkansas Derby Day.
Sports on 03/22/2018