Oaklawn Park report

— Colt loses race after side trip

There are tough beats for bettors.

Then there are beats like supporters of Last Gunfighter endured in Friday’s eighth race at Oaklawn Park.

Brutal may be an understatement.

Last Gunfighter, the 3-5 favorite, was beaten a neck by Runaway Chase in the 1 1/16-mile race for maiden allowance runners.

But Jeff Taylor of Hot Springs, the longtime Equibase chart caller at Oaklawn, said he believes Last Gunfighter would have won by approximately 8 lengths if he had maintained a straight course in the final furlong.

Last Gunfighter led by a widening 2 lengths in midstretch following an eye-catching rally on the second turn. But instead of cruising to victory, the colt ducked out suddenly under left-handed urging from Calvin Borel one jump inside the eighth pole and, at a 45-degree angle, went from the two-path on the track to maybe path 13 or 14.

“He went laterally more than any horse I’ve ever called,” Taylor said. “It was the most dramatic I’ve ever seen.”

Taylor said he believes the “tremendous loss of momentum” cost the 3-year old son of First Samurai about 5 lengths, plus another 3 lengths in distance.

After Borel regained control of Last Gunfighter with about 150 yards remaining, the colt stormed home to just miss catching Runaway Chase, a 4-year-old son of Victory Gallop trained by Donnie K. Von Hemel.

Taylor said Last Gunfighter may have reacted to seeing something in the infield.

Trained by Helen Pitts, Last Gunfighter, a Triple Crown nominee, made his first three career starts this year at Fair Grounds in New Orleans.

The colt was racing in blinkers for the first time Friday.

Najjaar works

Najjaar breezed 5 furlongs in 1:01 Friday morning in preparation for the $1 million Grade I Arkansas Derby on April 14.

It was the first workout for Najjaar since his sixth place finish in the $500,000 Grade II Rebel Stakes on March 17.

Trainer Dan Peitz scheduled the work Friday because Najjaar’s regular rider, Calvin Borel, will be out of town this weekend for stakes engagements.

Borel will be at Gulfstream Park in Florida today to ride Take Charge Indy in the $1 million Grade I Florida Derby and at Fair Grounds in New Orleans on Sunday to ride Mister Marti Gras in the $400,000 Grade II Mervin H. Muniz Jr.

Memorial Handicap.

Peitz said he timed Najjaar galloping out 6 furlongs in 1:14 and 7 furlongs in 1:28.

Najjaar was just off the fastest recorded 5-furlong work Friday (1:00.40) and equaled the time of Z Rockstar, a late Triple Crown nominee and Arkansas Derby candidate.

“Calvin was very happy,” Peitz said. “He thought he went great.Going a day early kind of gives me a little flexibility, too, depending on what the weather does.”

Peitz said Najjaar should have his final work before the Arkansas Derby next Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

Jake Mo, who is scheduled to run in the Arkansas Derby, worked a half-mile in :51.20 Friday morning.

Finally, it’s time

Mac’s Surprise, a 4-year old Stormy Atlantic colt trained by Rick Jackson of Mountain Pine, is scheduled to make his long-awaited career debut in today’s eighth race at 6 furlongs.

Jackson said Mac’s Surprise spent five months last year in a Louisiana clinic to treat a severe lung infection that was related to throat surgery.

“That created an ulcer in his lungs,” Jackson said. “He ran a real high 106-degree temperature. He had to be treated for the temperature for almost 60 days. He’s been through a lot.”

Following the surgery, Jackson said Mac’s Surprise was within three weeks of a race last year at Oaklawn before becoming sick.

He was subsequently pointed for races at Louisiana Downs and Churchill Downs, Jackson said, but became sick again.

The lung infection was then discovered.

“We know it’s going to have an effect on him,” Jackson said of the physical problems. “We just don’t know how much yet.”

Mac’s Surprise is owned by Jack Dickerson, a Camdenton, Mo., sporting goods distributor, and Buddy Formby of Hot Springs.

Dickerson and Jackson owned multiple stakes winner and millionaire Superior Storm, who is scheduled to deliver an Afleet Alex foal next week and will be bred this year to Congrats.

Greener pastures

Trainer Mac Robertson said two of his better older females have been retired to the breeding shed.

Robertson said multiple stakes winner Mindy Sue has been bred to Malibu Moon.

Sarah’s Song has been bred to champion Lookin At Lucky, Robertson said.

Mindy Sue started twice at the meeting, finishing sixth in the $50,000 American Beauty Stakes on Jan. 22 and seventh in the $60,000 Spring Fever Stakes on Feb. 19.

Sarah’s Song ran ninth in the Spring Fever, then finished fourth in a Feb. 24 allowance race and fifth in a March 15 allowance race.

“They start running bad, I can’t blame them,” Robertson said of the owners’ decision.

Final furlong

Carlos Gonzalez guided Northern Winn to a 2-length wire-to-wire victory in Friday’s second race.

Northern Winn paid a meet high $175.40 to win. … Luis Quinonez on Friday became the third jockey at the meeting to surpass $1 million in purse earnings. Horses ridden by Quinonez have earned $1,012,947. … Sue’s Sweet Sioux, a 4-year-old half sister to multiple stakes winner Tiz Miz Sue, is scheduled to make her 2012 debut in Sunday’s ninth race.

Both horses race for their breeder, Carol Ricks, and trainer Steve Hobby of Hot Springs.

Day 47 at a glance

ATTENDANCE 6,931 ON-TRACK HANDLE $601,051.60 OFF-TRACK HANDLE $1,774,528.26 TOTAL HANDLE $2,375,579.86 THURSDAY’S INSTANT RACING HANDLE $245,800.70 CLASSIX CARRYOVER $2,538.27 FRIDAY’S STARS Terry Thompson rode two winners. Trainer Chris Richard and owner Maggi Moss teamed for two victories.

RULINGS Stewards have suspended jockey Alex Cintron three racing days (Sunday, April 5 and April 6) for a riding infraction in the stretch of last Sunday’s eighth race. Stewards cited Cintron “for allowing his mount, Prime Objective, to drift out without being clear and impede the progress of Leavenworth.” The incident resulted in Prime Objective being disqualified from second and placed third. During the suspension, Cintron may ride in designated stakes races but must serve another day of suspension.

PRICES Admission ($2); parking in Oaklawn lots ($2); reserved seats ($4.50 weekends); programs ($2); tip sheets ($2-$5)’ Daily Racing Form on track ($5, small, $7 large, Saturday). Forms are 50 cents more off track.

WAGERING MENU (10 RACES)

Win, place, show, exacta, trifecta (all races)

Superfecta (races 4, 6 and 10)

Daily double (races 1-2, 9-10)

Classix (races 3-8)

Pick-3 (starts with races 4, 5, 6 and 8)

Pick-4 (begins with race 7) TELEVISION TVG (live full card), HRTV (races 7-10, including the $60,000 Rainbow Miss Stakes and $60,000 Rainbow Stakes) TODAY’S SIMULCASTING SCHEDULE Tampa Bay Downs (11:25 a.m.), Gulfstream Park (11:35 a.m.), Aqueduct (noon), Pimlico (12:10 p.m.), Turfway Park (12:10 p.m.), Fair Grounds (12:40 p.m.), Hawthorne (1:30 p.m.), Santa Anita (2:30 p.m.), Golden Gate Fields (2:45 p.m.), Penn National (5 p.m.), Mountaineer (6 p.m.), Charles Town (6:15 p.m.), Southland (7:05 p.m.)

Sports, Pages 25 on 03/31/2012

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