Oaklawn Park report

5 entered, race cut from card

HOT SPRINGS - The $75,000 Downthedustyroad Stakes, which was scheduled to be run Saturday afternoon at Oaklawn Park, was canceled after only five horses were entered Wednesday.

The 6-furlong race was restricted to Arkansas-bred fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and upward. It closed last Saturday with 23 nominations.

David Longinotti, Oaklawn’s director of racing, said Oaklawn had an agreement with the Arkansas Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Horsemen’s Association that the race wouldn’t be carded without a minimum of “seven wagering interests.” Oaklawn and the ATBHA had each contributed $37,500 toward the purse.

The presence of Jan’s Perfect Star undoubtedly contributed to the lack of entries.

Owned by Dave Clark of Little Rock and trained by Randy Morse, Jan’s Perfect Star was dominant in two starts against state-bred company at last year’s Oaklawn meeting.

After winning the $60,000 Arkansas Breeders’ Stakes last year at Oaklawn, Jan’s Perfect Star beat open company in a second-level allowance/optional claiming sprint at historic Saratoga in upstate New York.

Jan’s Perfect Star opened her 4-year-old campaign with a half-length allowance victory over state-breds Jan.

23.

Saturday’s cancellation is not the first involving state-bred filly-and-mare stakes at Oaklawn.

The Natural State Breeders’ Stakes for older sprinters was canceled in 2009 after only five horses were entered. The Arkansas Breeders’ Stakes at 1 1/16 miles was canceled in 2011 and 2012 because of insufficient entries (three and five horses, respectively).

The Arkansas Breeders’ Stakes (female division) was eliminated this year, but fillies and mares can run in the $75,000 open division at 1 1/16 miles March 28.

The Natural State Breeders’ Stakes is now known as the Downthedustyroad.

Saturday’s $75,000 Nodouble Breeders’ Stakes for Arkansas-bred male sprinters drew a field of 11.

Doubling down

Trainer Kenny McPeek, who had been 1 for 25 at the meeting, saddled two winners Thursday, including Trace Creek for Arkansas lumberman John Ed Anthony.

McPeek has about a dozen horses for Anthony, who has been active in recent years at the prestigious Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Anthony purchased 13 horses for $2,060,000 at last year’s sale. He bought a Super Saver colt for $360,000, a Tiznow colt for $300,000, a Colonel John colt for $285,000 and a Tapit filly for $200,000.

“He’s getting ready to get strong,” McPeek said in January.

Anthony was one of the country’s most prominent owners until phasing out his Loblolly Stable operation in the mid-1990s. He now races under the Shortleaf Stable banner.

McPeek also has horses in Florida this winter, but he was at Oaklawn on Thursday.

Getting closer

Trainer Tim Ritchey said major stakes winner Dancing Afleet is “training steadily” toward her 4-year old debut, adding the $200,000 Grade II Azeri Stakes on March 15 remains under consideration.

“Hopefully, we’ll get some good weather where we can get some good race tracks,” Ritchey said Thursday morning. “Just been a bad winter.”

Dancing Afleet scored her biggest career victory in the $300,000 Grade II Delaware Oaks on July 13 at Delaware Park in Stanton, Del. She was freshened following a fifth-place finish in the $1 million Grade I Cotillion Stakes on Sept. 21 at Parx near Philadelphia.

Asked if Dancing Afleet can make the Azeri, Ritchey said, “We’ll see. I’m in no rush.”

The trainer said in January that he would point Dancing Afleet for two of the country’s biggest events for older fillies and mares, the $600,000 Grade I Apple Blossom Handicap on April 11 and the $750,000 Grade I Delaware Handicap on July 12 at Delaware Park.

Dancing Afleet ran fourth in her career debut last April at Oaklawn. Ritchey also trained the filly’s sire, champion Afleet Alex.

Run like a girl

Oaklawn is offering the Kentucky Oaks future wager for the first time this year, according to Bobby Geiger, Oaklawn’s director of gaming and wagering.

The first and only round of wagering, which opened Thursday, runs through Saturday. The $1 million race for 3-year-old fillies is May 2 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

Geiger said Oaklawn is offering the bet because its 3-year-old filly series is a “proving ground” for the Kentucky Oaks, the female version of the Kentucky Derby. Kentucky Derby future wagering (pool 3) also opened Thursday. It has been an Oaklawn staple.

“It’s never generated a lot of handle, but it does spark plenty of conversation, speculation and debate,” Geiger said. “All of which make the early 3-year-old season so much fun. We thought our fans would enjoy playing the early speculation game with the girls as well.”

There are 23 individual wagering interests and another that represents the field (all other 3-year old fillies). All bets are $2 minimum wagers.

Unbeaten Aragorn Ami, winner of the $100,000 Martha Washington Stakes on Feb. 1, was rated 50-1 on the morning line.

Aragorn Ami is scheduled to make her next start in the $150,000 Grade III Honeybee Stakes on March 8. The Honeybee is the final major local prep for the $400,000 Grade III Fantasy Stakes on April 5.

Recent Fantasy winners Rachel Alexandra (2009) and Blind Luck (2010) also won the Kentucky Oaks.

Final furlong

Oaklawn was open for training from only 9:30 a.m.-11 a.m. Thursday because of a frozen racing surface.

There was no break to renovate the surface. The track is normally open for training from 7 a.m.-10:30 a.m., with a renovation break between 8:30 a.m.-9 a.m. … Nicoles Bullet was scratched from Thursday’s third race - a sprint for $16,000 Arkansas-bred filly and mare claimers - after getting loose going to the gate and running off the wrong way around the first turn. The filly flipped after crashing into a gate at the gap on the first turn, but was led back to her barn.

… Big Lute is scheduled to make his 4-year-old debut in Sunday’s eighth race for owners Alex and JoAnn Lieblong of Conway and trainer Steve Hobby of Hot Springs. Big Lute was a sparkling 4 3/ 4-length winner of his Feb. 1, 2013, career debut at Oaklawn.

After finishing seventh in the $300,000 Grade III Southwest Stakes, Big Lute underwent surgery to remove a small bone chip from a knee. He finished second and third in his comeback races last fall in Kentucky. Big Lute was entered Feb. 7, but racing was canceled that day (winter weather), and then he had a minor illness, Hobby said. … Flat Irish, who finished ninth as the favorite in his Jan. 11 career debut, is entered in Sunday’s seventh race. The Jan. 11 race has already produced three next-out winners. Also entered in Sunday’s race is Shathoor, a 3-year-old half-brother to champion My Miss Aurelia. … Ireland and Kiss Moon are among the 3-year-old fillies scheduled to challenge unbeaten Aragorn Ami in the $150,000 Grade III Honeybee Stakes on March 8. … Red River Rising, a Jan. 30, maiden winner, is entered in Saturday’s $100,000 Battaglia Memorial Stakes for 3-year-olds at Turfway Park in Kentucky.

Ramon Vazquez is named to ride.

At the post DAY 26 ATTENDANCE 3,511 ON-TRACK HANDLE $293,477.30 OFF-TRACK HANDLE $2,045,563.54 TOTAL HANDLE $2,339,040.84 CLASSIX CARRYOVER $1,898.05.

THURSDAY’S STARS Shane Laviolette rode two winners. Trainer Kenny McPeek saddled two winners.

TODAY’S TIMES First post for the nine races is 1:30 p.m. Gates open at 11 a.m. TELEVISION HRTV (races 7-9), TVG (full card). Oaklawn Replay Show (8 p.m., Resort Cable Channel 5, Hot Springs; 11 p.m., KARZ, Channel 42, Little Rock). PRICES Admission $2. Parking in Oaklawn lots $2. Reserved seats $4.50 weekends. Programs $2. Daily Racing Form $5, $6.50, $7.50. Tip sheets $2-$5. TODAY’S WAGERING MENU

Win-place-show, exacta, trifecta and superfecta wagering offered on all races

Daily double (races 1-2, 8-9)

CLASSIX (races 3-8)

Pick-3 (rolling begins with race 2)

Pick-4 (races 2-5, races 6-9) TODAY’S SIMULCASTING SCHEDULE Aqueduct (11:25 a.m.), Tampa Bay Downs (11:25 a.m.), Laurel (11:35 a.m.), Calder (11:55 a.m.), Gulfstream Park (12:05 p.m.), Fair Grounds (1:25 p.m.), Hawthorne (1:45 p.m.), Golden Gate Fields (2:45 p.m.), Santa Anita (3 p.m.), Penn National (5 p.m.), Turfway Park (5:15 p.m.), Delta Downs (5:45 p.m.), Wheeling (5:45 p.m.), Charles Town (6 p.m.), Sam Houston (7 p.m.), Southland (7:30 p.m.).