‘Holiday’ gets back to work
HOT SPRINGS - The holiday is over for Ami.
Ami’s Holiday, in his first published workout of the year, breezed a halfmile in :50.40 on Thursday morning at Oaklawn Park for trainer Josie Carroll.
Following the workout, Carroll said Ami’s Holiday is being pointed to the $600,000 Grade II Rebel Stakes for 3-year-olds March 15.
Ami’s Holiday, a son of Harlan’s Holiday, was one of Canada’s top 2-year olds, winning 2 of 4 starts including the $150,000 Grade III Grey Stakes on Oct. 6 at Woodbine near Toronto.
Ami’s Holiday hasn’t started since running third in the $125,000 Display Stakes on Dec. 8 at Woodbine.
Carroll said Ami’s Holiday arrived in Hot Springs in early February after being freshened in Florida.
“Just starting him on his program,” Carroll said.
“Unfortunately when we came in, we hit that bad spell of weather and set us back about a week. He looks like he’ll come to hand pretty quickly.”
Carroll said unbeaten Aragorn Ami remains on schedule for the $150,000 Grade III Honeybee Stakes for 3-year-old fillies March 8.
Aragorn Ami, in her stakes and two-turn debut, won the $100,000 Martha Washington Stakes on Feb. 1.
Carroll said Aragorn Ami is scheduled to work this morning.
Rulings
Stewards have suspended jockey Ramon Vazquez three days (Sunday and Feb. 27and Feb. 28) for a riding infraction last week.
Association steward Larry Snyder said Vazquez doesn’t plan to appeal the ruling.
Stewards cited Vazquez for allowing his mount, California Kid, to drift out shortly after the start of Sunday’s first race, a sprint for older $7,500 claimers.
According to the ruling released Thursday afternoon, California Kid’s drifting caused interference with He Be Somethin, who in turn caused third-party interference with Millionaire Storm.
There was no change in the order of finish.
California Kid was sixth, He Be Somethin was eighth and Millionaire Storm was ninth.
Jockeys Roberto Morales and Alex Canchari have withdrawn their appeals of riding suspensions that were scheduled to begin this week.
Both suspensions stem from incidents earlier this month. Morales’ suspension runs Saturday, Sunday and Feb. 27.
Canchari’s suspension is Sunday, Feb. 27 and Feb. 28.
Stewards fined leading trainer Chris Richard $100 for failing to notify the identifier that Da Winner was racing as a gelding for the first time in Monday’s fourth race.
Da Winner, who won the race, was listed as a colt in the program.
Richard’s runners
Chris Richard, Oaklawn’s leading trainer this year, said Boji Moon will be pointed toward the $100,000 Gazebo Stakes on March 22.
Boji Moon, a 3-year old Cactus Ridge gelding, toppled older horses in a Feb. 1 allowance race and is unbeaten sprinting.
The Gazebo is 6 furlongs.
Richard said Discipline, a 10 1/2 maiden winner Jan.
31, is pointing for an entry-level allowance sprint. The 3-year-old colt is by Sky Mesa.
Richard said Apprehender will likely skip the $100,000 Hot Springs Stakes on March 8 after repeating in Saturday’s $100,000 King Cotton Stakes - his first start since April.
The King Cotton was delayed a week because of winter weather, and Richard said it falls too close to the Hot Springs.
Richard said Apprehender is being pointed to the $300,000 Grade III Count Fleet Sprint Handicap on April 10.
Twos are wild
Horses wearing program No. 2 won Thursday’s first four races and five of the first six races.
Winners were Mallett ($38) in the first race, Bamboneo ($25.20) in the second, All Star Bell ($9) in the third, Dancin’ Lil ($6.80) in the fourth and Unstoppable Colby ($10.80) in the sixth.
Claim wars
Two dark days didn’t slow frenzied claiming activity at the meeting.
The 11 claims Thursday- the 22nd day of racing - totaled $179,000, pushing season totals to 164 and $2,368,500, respectively.
Five of the eight horses in the fourth race were claimed, including winner Dancin’ Lil, for $20,000.
On behalf of Oaklawn leading owner Danny Caldwell, trainer Federico Villafranco won a three-way shake, or blind draw, to claim the 5-year-old mare.
They had lost Dancin’ Lil to the powerful owner/ trainer team of Maggi Moss and Chris Richard through a $15,000 claim Jan. 16.
Caldwell recorded his meet-high 12th victory in the seventh race in Cabo Time, who was making her first start since being claimed for $40,000 on Jan.
18.
Villafranco trains privately for Caldwell, who lives in Poteau, Okla., about 25 miles southwest of Fort Smith.
Final furlong
Mallett, named after former Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett, was a front-running winner of Thursday’s first race. … Greenwood Coach RickJones, who has led the Bulldogs to six football state championships, visited Oaklawn on Thursday.
Jones was “job shadowing” trainer Ron Moquett of Hot Springs, whose son, Chance, played defensive line for the coach at Greenwood. … Taptowne, runner-up in last year’s Oaklawn Handicap, worked 5 furlongs in 1:01.20 on Thursday morning for trainer Tim Glyshaw, who is pointing the gelding to the $200,000 Grade III Razorback Handicap on March 15. Taptowne galloped out 6 furlongs in 1:14 and a mile in 1:42.60 under assistant trainer Charles Rosier. Taptowne was scheduled to make his 2014 debut in last Saturday’s $100,000 Essex Handicap, but skipped the race after missing his final scheduled work because of the winter weather. … Trainer Brad Cox said he’s pointing Monday entrylevel allowance winner Sheltowee’s Boy toward the $600,000 Grade II Rebel Stakes on March 15. … Grade II winner Bourbon Courage is now on the grounds for trainer Kellyn Gorder. … Bamboneo gave jockey Francisco Torres his first victory of the meeting in Thursday’s second race.
Torres had been 0 for 45.
It was the second victory of the meeting for trainer Helen Pitts, who was 1 for 31 last season at Oaklawn.
… Saketini, 5-year-old son of Bernardini, is scheduled to make his career debut in Saturday’s sixth race for owner Robert and Lawana Low of Springfield, Mo., and trainer Dan Peitz, a Little Rock native. Saketini is a half-brother to Grade II winner Real Cozzy, runner-up in the 2001 Kentucky Oaks. The Lows and Peitz also campaigned Real Cozzy. … Peitz said he plans to nominate Monday maiden special weights winner Springsteen Road, also owned by the Lows, to the $150,000 Grade III Honeybee Stakes for 3-yearold fillies March 8.
Sports, Pages 25 on 02/21/2014