THURSDAY'S SIMULCAST SCHEDULE Gulfstream Park, 11:35 a.m.; Tampa Bay, 11:35 a.m.; Aqueduct, 11:50 a.m.; Fair Grounds, 1:25 p.m.; Golden Gate, 2:45 p.m.; Santa Anita, 3 p.m.; Penn National, 5 p.m.; Turfway Park, 5:15 p.m.; Delta Downs, 5:40 p.m.; Charles Town, 6 p.m.
UNCONTESTED WRAPS WORK
Uncontested completed major preparations for the $500,000 Grade III Southwest Stakes for 3-year-olds with an easy workout Tuesday morning at Oaklawn. He was credited by clockers with a half-mile in :51. The son of Tiz Wonderful went his final quarter-mile in :24 and galloped out 5 furlongs in 1:04.40 for trainer Wayne Catalano and co-owners Harry Rosenblum and Robert LaPenta. Rosenblum said Tuesday's move was actually a "two-minute lick" (a horse moving at a slower tempo to cover a mile, or one lap of the track, in approximately two minutes). "A lot of trainers do things different ways," Rosenblum said Wednesday morning. "And, what he basically did was he two-minute licked him a mile and let him finish the last half, and he did the last quarter in :24. So it really wasn't a half-mile work -- as was posted -- but that's what they caught him, the last half-mile. It was really a two-minute lick of a mile." Uncontested, exiting a record-setting 5¼-length wire-to-wire victory in the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes on Jan. 16, is among at least 10 locally based horses scheduled to run in the Southwest.
GUN RUNNER SIZZLES
Gun Runner recorded a 5-furlong bullet (:59.80) over a fast track Monday morning for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen in preparation for the $500,000 Grade III Razorback Handicap (G3). Winner of the $500,000 Grade I Clark Handicap on Nov. 25 at Churchill Downs in his last start, he is scheduled to make his 4-year-old debut in Monday's Razorback at 1 1/16 miles. Clockers caught Gun Runner galloping out 6 furlongs in 1:11.80. Gun Runner went his final quarter-mile in :22.20 and final three-eighths in :34.60. Also breezing Monday toward a scheduled start in the Razorback was multiple stakes winner Shotgun Kowboy, who covered a half-mile in :48.80 for breeder/owner/trainer C.R. Trout. Shotgun Kowboy was a Jan. 27 allowance/optional claiming winner in his 5-year-old debut.
ALSVID RETIRED
Millionaire and Oaklawn stakes winner Alsvid has been retired, trainer Chris Hartman said Tuesday morning. Hartman said the 8-year-old Officer gelding emerged from a bullet half-mile workout Saturday morning a "little ginger," and the decision was made to retire him. Hartman had been targeting the $125,000 Hot Springs Stakes on March 11 for Alsvid, who won a Jan. 26 allowance/optional claimer in what would be his 47th and final career start. "He came back out of the work and wasn't 100 percent," Hartman said. "We decided it was time for him to quit. He's got a little minor injury to his leg. Actually, the horse is perfect today, but it's one of those situations where he can't go forward. He is a fast horse, and we don't want to have anything happen to him. We're not going to risk the horse, in any fashion."
VAZQUEZ CONTINUES APPEAL
Ramon Vazquez, Oaklawn's co-leading jockey with 22 victories, will continue to ride under a circuit court appeal, his agent, Ruben Munoz, said Wednesday morning. Stewards originally suspended Vazquez on Feb. 2-4 "for making contact with his hand to the head" of Set the Trappe aboard After Hours in the first race Jan. 21. After Hours was disqualified from first to second after the incident. Vazquez appealed to the Arkansas Racing Commission, which voted Saturday to uphold the stewards' ruling. Under the new stewards' order, Vazquez was to serve his days Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Munoz said Vazquez is scheduled to ride Impasse for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas in Saturday's $150,000 Bayakoa Stakes, Hence for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen in Monday's Southwest Stakes and possibly Domain's Rap in Monday's Razorback Handicap.
Information for this report contributed by Oaklawn media department and Democrat-Gazette Press Services
Sports on 02/16/2017