DAY 32 of 57
ATTENDANCE 17,000
ON-TRACK HANDLE $960,242
TOTAL HANDLE $3,705,180
PICK-5 PAYOUT $1,686.80
TODAY'S SIMULCAST SCHEDULE Gulfstream Park, 11 a.m.; Laurel Park, 11:30 a.m.; Tampa Bay, 11:35 a.m.; Aqueduct, 11:50 a.m.; Fair Grounds, 1:25 p.m.; Santa Anita, 2:30 p.m.; Golden Gate, 2:45 p.m.
SATURDAY'S STARS
Jockey Channing Hill and trainer Kenneth McPeek teamed up to win the late daily double with victories in the eighth and nine races. Hill, who is in eighth place in the jockey standings with 12 victories in 81 starts, rode Kathballu ($12.20) victory in the $125,000 Spring Fever and Oxford Lane ($6.60) in the ninth race, a maiden special weight with a $72,000 purse. McPeek is tied for seventh in the trainer standings with seven victories in 26 starts ... Jockey Carlos Marquez Jr. also won two races to improve to five victories in 42 starts at the meeting. Marquez rode Indian Oaks ($141.60) in the first to 3½-length victory. Marquez followed that with a victory on Smiling Charlie ($30.20) in the third.
SPRING FEVER UPSET
Kathballu ($12.20) held off fast-closing Natural Wonder to win the $125,000 Spring Fever Stakes by three-quarters of a length. Fantastic Style, the 4-5 favorite,didn't get a clean start in the 5½-furlong race, but led through early fractions of :22.33 and :45.67 for the first half mile. Kathballu stalked closely in second and stuck her head in front as the field entered the stretch, hitting the wire in 1:04.24 over a fast track. Marquee Miss finished third and was followed by D R C's Pretty Sky, Fantastic Style and Super Saks. Durango and Her Love for Pappy completed the order of finish. Kathballu, a 5-year-old Bluegrass Cat mare bred by her owner, improved her record to 7-3-3 from 24 starts and has now earned $409,349.
GAZEBO WINNER SIZZLES
Rockshaw, the 2-1 favorite, won the 6-furlong $125,000 Gazebo Stakes for 3-year-old sprinters by 4 lengths for trainer Ron Moquett and owners Alex and JoAnn Leiblong.Rockshaw ($6.20), ridden by Geovanni Franco, who substituted for an injured Ricardo Santana, stalked Laughingsaintssong through opening fractions of :22.31 and :45.25 for the first half mile. As the field entered the stretch, Rockshaw overtook the early leader, who held on for second, and drew off to win in 1:09.27. Rockshaw, a Maclean's Music colt, has won 3 of 5 starts and earned $165,550.
INJURED JOCKEYS UPDATE
Ricardo Santana, who suffered a separated shoulder during a spill in the second race on Thursday, might not be able to ride Whitmore in Saturday's $125,000 Hot Srpings Stakes and Torrent in the $200,000 Honeybee Stakes for 3-year-old fillies. Santana's agent Ruben Munoz said he's targeting a return of around March 18 for Santana, but added more will be known after the jockey sees a specialist Monday morning. Santana, Oaklawn's four-time defending riding champion, is tied with Ramon Vazquez at the top of the standings this year with 30 victories through 32 days of racing. ... Didiel Osorio, involved in the same Thursday spill as Santana, is expected to miss two months after fracturing two vertebrae, his agent Joe Santos said.
FINAL FURLONG
Triple Crown nominee Petrov tuned up for a possible start in the $900,000 Rebel Stakes on March 18 with a 5-furlong work in company Saturday morning at Oaklawn for trainer Ron Moquett of Hot Springs. The gray son of Flatter covered the distance over a fast track in :59.60 under Greta Kuntzweiler. following the work, Moquett said he's still leaning toward the 1 1/16-mile Rebel, which is expected to attract shippers from across the country. ... Silver Dust, who is scheduled to make his next start in the Rebel, worked 5 furlongs in 1:00.80 on Saturday morning for trainer Randy Morse. He finished fourth in the 1 1/16-mile Southwest, which was his 3-year-old and stakes debut and first start around two turns.
Information for this report contributed by the Oaklawn Park media department.
Sports on 03/05/2017