HOT SPRINGS -- Thoroughbred trainers map out detailed plans for their 3-year-old Kentucky Derby prospects knowing full well everything can change with one untimely blast of arctic air.
That's just what happened one week ago.
Ice, snow and extreme cold rolled across Arkansas last Sunday night and caused postponement of last Monday's Grade III Southwest Stakes, the second leg of Oaklawn Park's series for 3-year-olds looking to make a move on the road to the Kentucky Derby.
Today, 11 colts and geldings, including 3-1 morning-line favorite Far Right, are expected to break from the gate at approximately 4:42 p.m., six days after the $300,000 race at 1 mile, 1/16th was originally scheduled to be run.
Inconvenient? Yes.
Unworkable? No.
"It's no different for us than it is for anyone else who works outdoors," said Ron Moquett, trainer of Far Right. "We have to to be ready to change plans, but that's all right. It's the same for everybody, and we're used to it."
Five weeks ago on Jan. 19, Far Right won the 1-mile Smarty Jones, the first of the four major prep races for 3-year-olds at Oaklawn that target the Triple Crown and its jewel, the Kentucky Derby.
Today's field includes the top four finishers from the Smarty Jones: Far Right, Bayerd, Mr. Z and Private Prospect.
Connections for War Story and J S Bach, entered for the Southwest before its postponement, opted out of the Southwest and were entered Saturday in the $400,000 Grade II Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds in New Orleans. J S Bach was scratched with a fever. War Story finished second to International Star.
The harsh weather last weekend worked ideally for Hillbilly Royalty, who would not have run in the Southwest had it not been rescheduled.
Hillbilly Royalty, trained by Donnie Von Hemmel, has won both of his lifetime starts, including a 4 1/2-length victory in an entry-level allowance at 1 1/16th miles at Oaklawn on Feb. 6, which produced a Beyer Speed Figure of 93, the highest of those entered in the Southwest. The extra six days between races encouraged Von Hemmel to introduce Hillbilly Royalty, who is the third choice in the morning line at 7-2, to stakes company.
Mr. Z, trained by Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas, is the 3-1 second choice in the morning line.
Lukas has said he thought Mr. Z appeared destined to win the Smarty Jones as the field turned into the stretch, but immediately after jockey Jon Court struck his whip to Mr. Z's left side, the colt veered to his right. Court eventually regained control, but rail-running Far Right ran past Mr. Z, followed by Bayerd, the eventual runner-up.
Cory Nakatani, based in southern California, is scheduled to ride Mr. Z in the Southwest.
Mr. Z hasn't won in eight stakes starts, seven of those in graded company, but has been no worse than third six times. He was third by a head to Dortmund and Firing Line in the Grade I Los Alamitos Futurity on Dec. 20. Dortmund is ranked third among Kentucky Derby contenders by kentuckyderby.com.
The six-day delay of the Southwest, instead of five, worked in favor of Far Right, Moquett said.
If the track had opened Tuesday for training, the Southwest would have been moved to Saturday. But training was cancelled and the race was rescheduled for today. Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith rode Far Right in the Smarty Jones, and flew from Los Angeles to Dallas early Monday before he learned the Southwest had been postponed.
Smith had agreed already to ride Imperia in the Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds on Saturday, which would have forced Moquett to chose another rider.
"I feel like it's important to keep the same rider," Moquett said. "That's not to say there aren't many very talented jockeys right here at this track, but Mike Smith is one of the best ever, and he knows this horse."
Imperia finished fifth in the Risen Star, well back as the 3-2 favorite.
Smith said he thinks Far Right has a chance to get better as the length of his races increase, based on the way the colt felt as they crossed the wire in the Smarty Jones.
"What I liked about my race is that when I got to the wire, I was just hitting my best stride," Smith said. "That gives me an indication that he certainly wants to go further, and that the further we go, the better he's going to get.
"That's what I took out of that race."
Sports on 02/22/2015