AT THE POST

Day 40

ESTIMATED ATTENDANCE 3,250

ON-TRACK HANDLE $307,028

OFF-TRACK HANDLE $2,175,824

TOTAL HANDLE $2,482,852

CLASSIX CARRYOVER $1,259

TODAY’S FIRST POST 1:30 p.m.

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 11:30 a.m. Laurel 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, 6:05 p.m. Charles Town

‘APPRECIATION BONUS’

Purses will be raised between $1,000 and $2,000 each race for the remaining 10 days of the 2015 meet, Oaklawn announced Wednesday. This increase, which Oaklawn is calling an “appreciation bonus” and begins with Saturday’s program, marks the third time purses have been raised since the beginning of the meet Jan. 15. “We appreciate the cooperation the horsemen have shown all season and are excited to reward them with higher purses the last 10 days,” Director of Racing David Longinotti said, referring specifically to the winter weather that has caused the cancellation of eight racing cards and hindered training on many others. Oaklawn will end the live racing season with allowance races as high as $72,000 and maiden special weights at $66,000. The bottom purse will be $21,000.

WEDNESDAY’S STARS

Ramon Vazquez pulled within three victories of leading rider Ricardo Santana Jr. with two winners Wednesday. Vazquez

(37) trails Santana (40), who is going for a third consecutive Oaklawn riding title. Chris Hartman (20) took a two-victory lead over Steve Asmussen in the training standings with two winners Wednesday. Hartman won with Jack’s the Won ($6.20) in the second and Guns Loaded ($16.40) in the eighth. Vazquez won on Jack’s the Won for Hartman and Magnolia Steel ($18.40) in the ninth for trainer Federico Villafranco, who has 16 winners. Santana won on Guns Loaded for Hartman.

FINAL FURLONG

Reigning male sprint champion Work All Week had his first published workout (48.20 for 4 furlongs) since winning last fall’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint on Wednesday morning at Oaklawn. Trainer Roger Brueggemann told the Oaklawn Park media department that “it’s going to be a stretch” for Work All Week to make his 2015 debut in the Grade III $300,000 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap. … The Truth or Else worked 5 furlongs in 1:00.40 Wednesday morning, the colt’s first breeze since finishing fourth in the Grade II $750,000 Rebel Stakes on March 14. Trainer Kenny McPeek has said he is pointing The Truth Or Else for the Grade I $1 million Arkansas Derby on April 11. McPeek said The Truth Or Else will have “a couple” of additional works leading up to the Arkansas Derby, which is expected to be headlined by champion American Pharoah, the runaway winner of the Rebel. The Truth Or Else also ran second in the Grade III $300,000 Southwest Stakes on Feb. 22. … Trainer Steve Asmussen told the Oaklawn media department he remains undecided about the next start for Tapiture, who ran fifth in the Grade III Razorback Handicap on March 14 and Untapable, who ran second in the Azeri on March 14. Both horses worked Monday, and Asmussen said he plans to breeze them again Monday before deciding on their next race. Tapiture is being considered for the Grade II Oaklawn Handicap. Untapable is a candidate for the Grade I Apple Blossom Handicap on April 10. … Mr. Z, third-place finisher in the Jan. 19 Smarty Jones Stakes and the Feb. 22 Southwest Stakes, worked a half-mile in :50.20 Tuesday morning for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas in preparation for Saturday’s Grade II $750,000 Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds in New Orleans. He will race without blinkers.

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