DAY 46 of 55
SUNDAY'S ATTENDANCE 6,000
SUNDAY'S TOTAL HANDLE $3,297,399
SUNDAY'S ON-TRACK HANDLE $416,890
WEDNESDAY'S FIRST POST 1:30 p.m.
WEDNESDAY'S SIMULCAST SCHEDULE 11:35 a.m. Tampa Bay; 11:45 a.m. Mahoning Valley; 12:20 p.m. Aqueduct; 2:10 p.m. Hawthorne; 2:45 p.m. Golden Gate; 3 p.m. Santa Anita; 5 p.m. Penn National; 5:50 p.m. Evangeline; 6:05 p.m. Charles Town; 7:05 p.m. Lone Star Park.
WAGERING MENU Win-place-show, exacta, trifecta, superfecta wagering on all races. Daily double (races 1-2 and races 8-9). CLASSIX (races 3-8). Pick 3 (rolling begins with race 2). Pick 4 (races 2-5 and 6-9).
SUNDAY'S STARS
Leading rider Ricardo Santana Jr. took a rare day off from winning races Sunday -- he was shut out in eight mounts -- clearing the path for Chris Landeros and Alex Chancheri, who each won two races. One of Chancheri's victory came in the featured Rainbow Stakes. It was also a big day for trainers Randy Morse and Robertino Diodoro, who combined to five of the nine races. Morse won three, including the Rainbow Stakes with Maize Road. Diodoro's two victories improved his record to 19 victories in 58 starts, a 33.3 winning percentage that leads all trainers who have started 20 or more horses. Morse, 17 for 76, is winning at 22 percent.
RAINBOW STAKES
The biggest challenge Rainbow Stakes winner Maize Road faced Sunday occured after the running of the 6-furlong race for Arkansas-bred colts and geldings, in the form of an objection lodged by Ricardo Santana Jr., jockey of second-place finisher Carson's Suspect.
Santana alleged that Maize Road and jockey Alex Canchari impeded the momentum of the second-place finisher when Mazie Road swept to the lead in midstretch, but stewards quickly ruled that it was not enough to cause a change in the final order of finish.
Maize Road, the 9-5 favorite, returned $5.60, $2.80 and $2.40.
Canchari kept Maize Road off the hot pace set by Handsome Roy and Carson's Suspect of 21.81 for a quarter and 45.48 for a half. Maize Road swept to the lead in midstretch after Carson's Suspect passed fading Handsome Roy. Maize Road crossed the finish line 3½ lengths in front, hitting the wire in 1:11.04.
Mr Ark closed well from seventh to get third.
Trainer Randy Morse followed the footsteps of his father W.R. "Charlie" Morse, who won this race in 1982 with Jef Fix.
"This one didn't pay quite as good as that horse did," Morse said. "I think he paid like $96 that day, so that was a pretty good day. But this is, too."
Maize Road, a 3-year-old Afleet Alex gelding bred in Arkansas by McDowell Farm, improved his record to two victories from five starts and has now earned $119,800 for his connections.
"It's the best feeling ever to win a stakes race at Oaklawn," Canchari said. "I had a perfect trip, I broke really relaxed and was able to stay relaxed for most of the trip and waited until the turn to let out a bit. I sat behind the pace and when I asked him to run at the quarter pole he did."
DERBY DOINGS
Smart Jones Stakes winner Discreetness worked 5 furlongs in 1:03.20 Sunday morning, his first breeze since a seventh-place finish in the March 19 Rebel Stakes, the final local prep for the Arpil 16 Arkansas Derby. Discreetness worked right after the track opened for trainer Jinks Fires with Jon Court, Fires' son-in-law, in the saddle. Discreetness clocked :24.40 for the opening quarter and galloped out 6 furlongs in 1:16 over a fast track. Fires said it was a "maintenance" drill, adding Discreetness will probably breeze out of the gate next week in preparation for the Arkansas Derby. "We'll blow him out again," Fires said. "We'll try to prep him so he breaks better." Discreetness has two seventh-place finishes since his victory in the Jan. 18 Smarty Jones Stakes. A seventh-place finish in the Feb. 15 Southwest Stakes was partially attributed to a wide trip after breaking from the 14 post. Discreetness had a ground-saving trip in the Rebel, but was never close to the early pace and never threatened, beaten 7 3/4 lengths by Cupid.
• Two other locally based 3-year-olds pointing to the Arkansas Derby -- Southwest winner Suddenbreakingnews (Friday) and Rebel runner-up Whitmore (Saturday) -- had major works over the weekend. Trainers of both horses said Saturday they are on target for April 16.
• Southern California-based jockey Rafael Bejarano, a two-time Arkansas Derby winner, has been named to ride lightly raced American Pioneer in the Arkansas Derby, trainer Wayne Catalano told Oaklawn Park media officials Sunday. The Arkansas Derby will American Pioneer's third career start. He finished second in his Jan. 18 career debut before breaking his maiden March 19. Catalano said American Pioneer galloped 2 miles Sunday morning. American Pioneer finished second to Dazzling Gem in the Jan. 18 debut, and Dazzling Gem came back with an allowance victory and third-place finish in the March 26 Louisiana Derby.
• Trainer Ron Moquett said Tisdale remains under consideration for three races on April 16 -- the Arkansas Derby, the Grade III Lexington Stakes at Keeneland and $150,000 Northern Spur Stakes at Oaklawn. Moquett also co-owns and trains Whitmore. Tisdale, a Friesan Fire colt, has won consecutive races at 11/16 miles -- at the maiden and first-level allowance levels.
FINAL FURLONG
Leading rider Ricardo Santana Jr. surpassed the $10 million mark in career purse earnings Saturday when Matuszak won the third race for six-time training champion Steve Asmussen. ... Taxable (:50.60) and Terra Promessa (:50.80) recorded half-mile works Sunday morning in advance of Saturday's $400,000 Fantasy Stakes, which begins Oaklawn's annual Racing Festival of the South. ... Super Saks worked a half-mile in :50.40 Sunday morning for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas. Super Saks is pointing for the $150,000 Carousel Stakes April 14. ... Cinco Charlie worked 1:00 Saturday, the fastest-of-the-morning at 5 furlongs, for Asmussen in preparation for Sunday's Grade III Count Fleet Stakes at ... Gentlemen's Bet and Den's Legacy are under consideration for the Count Fleet, trainer Ron Moquett said. ... Two candidates for the Apil 16 Oaklawn Handicap worked 5 furlongs Saturday morning at Oaklawn: Financial Modeling (1:01.20) for trainer Brad Cox and Carve (1:00.80) for Asmussen.
Information for this article contributed by Oaklawn media department.
Sports on 04/04/2016