DAY 5 of 57
ESTIMATED ATTENDANCE 1,750
TOTAL HANDLE $2,784,944
ON-TRACK HANDLE $196,391
TODAY’S SIMULCAST SCHEDULE Aqueduct, 11:20 a.m.; Tampa Bay, 11:25 a.m.; Gulfstream Park, 11:35 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.; Palm Beach (greyhounds), 6 p.m.; Daytona Beach (greyhounds), 6:25 p.m.; Sam Houston, 7:10 p.m.; Southland (greyhounds), 8:30 p.m.; Los Alamitos, 9 p.m.
THURSDAY’S STARS
Ramon Vazquez, who is the leading jockey on the season, won two races. Vazquez won the first race when he rode Friend of Liberty to a 6-length victory over Sister Kan. Friend of Liberty’s winning time in the 6-furlong race was 1:12.41 and paid $4.20 to win, $2.80 to place and $2.20 to show. Vazquez won the sixth race when he rode A Gala Day to a 1¾-length victory over Wilhelmina in a 6-furlong race. A Gala Day’s winning time was 1:12.14 and paid $9, $5 and $3.80.
SANTANA RETURNS
Four-time Oaklawn jockey champion Ricardo Santana Jr. is returning to action today after missing the first five days of the meet because of a suspension from the 2016 season. Santana was originally facing a 21-day suspension, but it was reduced to 15 days after he settled with the Arkansas Racing Commission last summer. “I think he’ll be more mindful,” Santana’s agent, Ruben Munoz, said. “I think the important thing is it’s OK to be aggressive without putting people in danger. There’s one thing being aggressive and another thing being reckless. I don’t think he was reckless, I really don’t.” Santana, 24, is named on six horses today, including two for trainer and longtime supporter Ron Moquett of Hot Springs and another for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, the jockey’s biggest client. He hasn’t ridden since a fourth-place finish aboard Dynamo in the $300,000 Clasico Internacional del Caribe Stakes on Dec. 11 at Camarero in Puerto Rico. According to Equibase, Santana finished 2016 with $8,160,015 in earnings. He rode Creator to victory in the $1 million Arkansas Derby. Santana won 80 races at Oaklawn last year, earning $4,064,073, and won two other stakes races riding Terra Promessa to victory in the Honeybee and Fantasy Stakes.
FINAL FURLONG
Ron Moquett said he’ll use today’s eighth race, an entry-level allowance/ optional claimer at a mile, as preparation for Torrent ahead of the $125,000 Martha Washington Stakes on Feb.
- “If she does everything like she’s supposed to and comes back like she should, hopefully this is a tune up,” said Moquett, referring to the Martha Washington. Torrent made her first two career starts at Saratoga and raced at Keeneland before breaking her maiden by 6 lengths Nov. 5 at Churchill Downs. … Arkansas-bred stakes winner Mallard’s Bro worked 3 furlongs in 37.80 for the renovation break Thursday morning for trainer Al Cates. Cates plans on running Mallard’s Bro in a state-bred allowance stakes race Sunday. … Multiple-stakes winner Recount returned to work Thursday morning, covering 3 furlongs in 37.20 Recount finished sixth in last year’ Count Fleet Sprint Handicap and won the Bet on Sunshine Stakes on Nov. 19 at Churchill Downs in his last start. … Petrov, who was second in Monday’s Smarty Jones Stakes, returned to the track Thursday morning. Moquett, Petrov’s co-owner and trainer, said the colt is “probable” for the $500,000 Southwest Stakes on Feb. 20. Smarty Jones winner Uncontested is scheduled to return to work this morning.
— Information for this report contributed by Oaklawn media department.