DAY 22 of 57
ESTIMATED ATTENDANCE 7,250
ON-TRACK HANDLE $501,861
TOTAL HANDLE $3,479,744
PICK 5 PAYOFF $2,571.80
SIMULCAST SCHEDULE 11 a.m., Gulfstream Park; 11:30 a.m., Laurel Park; 11:35 a.m., Tampa Bay; 11:50 a.m., Aqueduct; 1:25 p.m., Fair Grounds; 2:30 p.m., Santa Anita; 2:45 p.m., Golden Gate; 5 p.m., Penn National; 5:15 p.m., Turfway Park; 5:40 p.m., Delta Downs; 6 p.m., Charles Town; 6 p.m., Palm Beach (G); 6:15 p.m., Sam Houston; 6:25 p.m., Daytona Beach (G); 7:30 p.m., Southland (G); 8:30 p.m., Los Alamitos
FRIDAY'S STARS
Apprentice jockey Katie Clawson won two races, starting with Fireupthejet ($14.20) in the first for trainer Randy Morse and the fifth with Goingtogive'emhale ($36.20) for trainer James Hale. The victories were the third and fourth for Clawson at the meet from 36 mounts. Clawson is now 10 for 133 in her career, according to Equibase. Clawson, 20, who won her first career race in June at Churchill Downs, will retain a 7-pound allowance until she wins 35 career races. Three of Clawson's four Oaklawn victories have come for Morse. ... On the other end of the age spectrum, Jon Court, 56, won two races, with Fervent ($23.40) in the second and Strawberry Bomb ($8.80) in the fourth. Court is now 9 for 58 at the meet, and has won 4,009 races in a career that dates back to 1980. ... Leading rider Ricardo Santana Jr. also won two races Friday, with Sage's Epiphany ($7.40) in the seventh and first-time starter Ms Fifty First St. ($17.40) in the ninth for trainer Al Cates. Santana, who missed the first five days of the meet because of a suspension that occurred at the end of the 2016 season, has 24 winners in 100 starts. Santana, the track's four-time defending jockey champion, leads Ramon Vazquez by one.
PLETCHER ON THE PROWL
One Liner arrived early Thursday afternoon at Oaklawn for trainer Todd Pletcher, who is scheduled to start the unbeaten Into Mischief colt in Monday's Grade III $500,000 Southwest Stakes for 3-year-olds. The colt, who is 2 for 2, has been based this winter in south Florida, winning a first-level allowance/optional claiming sprint Jan. 26 at Gulfstream Park in his 3-year-old debut. One Liner is scheduled to break from post position No. 11 with Hall of Famer John Velazquez named to ride. Pletcher, a seven-time Eclipse Award winner as the country's outstanding trainer, is seeking his 15th career Oaklawn stakes victory. Pletcher has won the Arkansas Derby a record four times -- Graeme Hall in 2000, Balto Star in 2001, Overanalyze in 2013 and Danza in 2014. Monday's Southwest and Razorback Handicap for older horses highlight a special holiday program. Racing begins at 1:05 p.m.
ON THE UNDERCARD
Today's fourth race, a first-level allowance/optional claimer for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles, could produce a contender or two for the Grade II $900,000 Rebel Stakes on March 18. One of the horses to watch is Jerrid, a son of 2003 Horse of the Year Mineshaft, who finished second to Chief Know It All at a mile Jan. 27. Chief Know It All is scheduled to run in Monday's Southwest Stakes. Trainer Scott Young said today's race will be Jerrid's steppingstone to his stakes debut in the Rebel. Jerrid, who was beaten 2 lengths by Chief Know It All after pressing the pace, is scheduled to break from the rail Saturday under regular rider Belen Quinonez. Seven other horses are entered, including Triple Crown nominees Silver Bullion -- a Feb. 9 maiden winner for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas -- and Unbridled Eagle, sixth in the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes on Jan. 16 for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. Unbridled Eagle will be adding blinkers for the race, which has a probable post time of 2:38 p.m.
FAST HEALER
Perfect Wife will be pointed for the Grade III $200,000 Honeybee Stakes for 3-year-old fillies March 11, trainer Kenny McPeek said Friday morning. Perfect Wife, as the favorite, finished last of eight in last Saturday's $125,000 Martha Washington Stakes at a mile. She broke through the gate before the start, was backed out, reloaded and beaten 14½ lengths by Chanel's Legacy after leading the first half-mile. McPeek said Perfect Wife "busted her nostril really bad," had a lot of "bruising" and a "laceration inside her upper gum." But he said: "She's galloped a couple of mornings and everything's gone fine. Very unlucky that day she busted through the gate, but she's fine. She's set for the Honeybee." Also pointing for the 1 1/16-mile Honeybee are Chanel's Legacy, Martha Washington runner-up My Sweet Stella and Torrent, third in the Martha Washington. The Honeybee is the final major local prep for the Grade III $400,000 Fantasy Stakes on April 14.
FINAL FURLONG
Vic Stauffer, in his first year announcing at Oaklawn, is the scheduled guest this morning for Dawn At Oaklawn. The program is free to the public. Oaklawn paddock analyst Nancy Holthus will host question-and-answer sessions with specials guests at 8:30 a.m. on the south apron of the grandstand. ... Snickerboxer ($15.80) became the meet's first three-time winner in Thursday's eighth race, a $50,000 waiver claimer for older horses at a mile. Snickerboxer has earned $57,000 while going 3 for 3 at the meet for trainer Federico Villafranco and leading owner Danny Caldwell. Snickerboxer, a 6-year-old gelding, has won four consecutive starts for Villafranco and Caldwell, Oaklawn's leading owner the past three years, since being claimed for $10,000 on Nov. 10 at Churchill Downs. ... Jockey Eduardo Gallardo won for the first time in three career mounts at Oaklawn Park, and he made long-shot players jump for joy when Geris Hand ($228) broke her maiden in Thursday's ninth race, a $12,500 maiden-claiming sprint for Arkansas-bred fillies and mares, for trainer Donald Caudill. ... Multiple Oaklawn stakes winner Far Right breezed 3 furlongs Friday in :36.80 for trainer Wayne Catalano. The time equaled the fastest of 16 works recorded at the distance. Far Right won Oaklawn's $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes and Grade III $300,000 Southwest Stakes in 2015 before running second to eventual Triple Crown winner American Pharoah in the Grade I $1 million Arkansas Derby. Far Right, unraced since finishing seventh in an Aug. 5 allowance/optional claimer at Ellis Park, was transferred from trainer Ron Moquett of Hot Springs to Catalano last fall.
Information for this article contributed by Oaklawn media department.
Sports on 02/18/2017