AT THE POST

DAY 26

TODAY’S FIRST POST TIME 1:30 p.m. CLASSIX CARRYOVER $3,310

TODAY’S TELEVISION TVG (full card) TODAY’S WEATHER FORECAST A high of 38 degrees is predicted for Hot Springs this afternoon after a low of around 27 this morning, according to the National Weather Service. North northwest winds at 5-10 mph.

TODAY’S WAGERING MENU Win-placeshow, 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 11:25 a.m. Tampa Bay, 11:40 a.m. Gulfstream Park, 12:20 p.m. Aqueduct, 1:25 p.m. Fair Grounds, 2:45 p.m. Golden Gate, 3 p.m. Santa Anita, 5 p.m. Penn National, 5:30 p.m. Delta Downs, 6:00 p.m. Charles Town

LIVE RACING?

Oaklawn Park Director of Racing David Longinotti said Wednesday evening that as long as temperatures didn’t dip into the low 20s overnight that live racing would go on as scheduled today. “If we can race, we’ll race,” he said.

SOUTHWEST AFTERMATH

The Oaklawn media department reported Wednesday that second-place Southwest Stakes finisher The Truth Or Else is being pointed to the March 14 $750,000 Rebel Stakes, but winner Far Right and third-place finisher Mr. Z have different plans. Trainer Ron Moquett told Oaklawn officials that Far Right would skip the Rebel and train up to the April 11 Arkansas Derby after winning the first two legs of Oaklawn’s Kentucky Derby prep races. Mr. Z, the third-place finisher in both the Jan. 19 Smarty Jones and Feb. 21 Southwest Stakes, is headed to Fair Grounds in New Orleans for the March 28 Louisiana Derby and will race with blinkers off, according to Justin Zayat, racing and stallion manager for Zayat Stables. Far Right became the first horse to win both the Southwest and the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes since the 1-mile Smarty Jones was added in 2008 to kick off Oaklawn’s 3-year-old series. Moquett told Oaklawn that the plan entering 2015 was to run Far Right three times at Oaklawn in hopes of having a fresh horse for the Kentucky Derby, adding the Southwest being delayed six days because of winter weather wasn’t a major factor in bypassing the Rebel. Moquett said Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, who rode Far Right in the Smarty Jones and Southwest, has committed to ride the Notional colt in the Arkansas Derby. Zayat Stables is scheduled to be represented by American Pharoah in the 1 1/16-mile Rebel, which would mark the 2015 debut of the Eclipse Award-winning 2-year-old male. American Pharoah is trained by Bob Baffert in Southern California.

WHAT ABOUT CHARGE?

Willis Horton, owner of 2-year-old filly Eclipse Award winner Take Charge Brandi, told Oaklawn’s media department Wednesday he is still considering running his filly in the March 14 $750,000 Rebel Stakes. Take Charge Brandi won the $100,000 Martha Washington Stakes on Jan. 31, and trainer D. Wayne Lukas has said the filly is being pointed to the March 7 $150,000 Honeybee Stakes. But Horton told Claire Novak of bloodhorse.com that the Rebel is a real possibility. “I’ve looked at all the figures and times, and we’re talking about a $750,000 race compared to a purse of $150,000,” Horton said. “Even if we run third, we still get more money than we would if she won the other race.”

FINAL FURLONG

Two-time defending Oaklawn riding champion Ricardo Santana Jr. became the first jockey at the meeting to surpass $1 million in purse earnings when he guided Bold Conquest to a fourth-place finish in Sunday’s eighth race, the $300,000 Southwest Stakes for 3-year-olds. Santana ($1,003,429) reached the milestone in the 25th day of racing. Santana reached $1 million in purse earnings during the 24th day of racing last year and finished with a meet-high $2,561,193. … Three-time Oaklawn training champion Kenny Smith recorded his 995th career winner in Saturday’s second race with Myrna Anne.

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