Oaklawn winners in Cup races
At least a dozen horses with Arkansas ties were pre-entered Wednesday for this week’s Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita near Los Angeles.
The list includes Will Take Charge, who is scheduled to represent owner Willis Horton of Marshall in Saturday’s $5 million Grade I Classic.
Will Take Charge, a candidate for champion 3-year-old male, breezed 5 furlongs in :59.40 on Saturday morning at Santa Anita, second-fastest of 50 works recorded at the distance.
Will Take Charge won the $600,000 Grade II Rebel Stakes and $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes this year at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs.
Saturday’s $1.5 million Grade I Sprint is scheduled to feature Justin Phillip and Gentlemen’s Bet, first and third, respectively, in the $250,000 Grade III Count Fleet Sprint Handicap this year at Oaklawn.
Gentlemen’s Bet is owned by Harry Rosenblum of Little Rock and trained by Ron Moquett of Hot Springs. Gentlemen’s Bet worked a half-mile in :50.80 on Saturday morning at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.
Also pre-entered in the Sprint is Secret Circle,who won a division of the $250,000 Grade III Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn, and the $500,000 Grade II Rebel in 2012.
Secret Compass, owned by Joe and Scott Ford of Little Rock, is pre-entered in Saturday’s $2 million Grade I Juvenile Fillies.
Secret Compass is coming off a victory in the $250,000 Grade I Chandelier Stakes on Sept. 28 at Santa Anita.
Post positions for the 14 Breeders’ Cup races will be drawn Monday. The Breeders’ Cup is Friday and Saturday.
Talking horses
Stall applications for the 2014 Oaklawn live meeting that is scheduled to begin Jan. 10 were due Thursday.
The stable area opens Nov. 11. The track opens for training Nov. 18.
Final furlong
Two-time Oaklawn riding champion Calvin Borel is expected to miss approximately a month after breaking his left leg in a spill Wednesday at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky.
… Preakness winner Oxbow, who wintered this year at Oaklawn, has been retired after exiting fourth in the $1 million Grade I Haskell on July 28 at Monmouth Park in New Jersey with an ankle problem. … Alternation, who won the $500,000 Grade II Oaklawn Handicap in 2012, also has been retired after going winless in three starts this year. Both Oxbow and Alternation will begin stallion careers in 2014.
Sports, Pages 35 on 10/27/2013