DAY 26 OF 57
SATURDAY'S ESTIMATED ATTENDANCE 8,500
SATURDAY'S TOTAL HANDLE $3,208,460
SATURDAY'S ON-TRACK HANDLE $599,048
SATURDAY'S OFF-TRACK HANDLE $2,609,412
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 p.m.; Santa Anita, 2:30 p.m.; Golden Gate, 2:45 p.m.
SATURDAY'S STARS
David Cohen, who is in third place in the jockey standings with 18 victories in 123 starts, won two races. Cohen won the second race with Brave John ($3.80), covering 6 furlongs in 1:13.39. He also won the fourth race with Dr. Clark ($4.60), covering 6 furlongs in 1:13.04. Ricardo Santana Jr., who is leading the jockey standings with 25 victories in 129 starts, won the third race with Serious I Candy ($6.20), covering 6 furlongs in 1:14.47. Robertino Diodoro, who is in third place in the trainer's standings with 14 victories in 67 starts, won the second and fourth races with Brave John and Dr. Clark.
EARLY PICK 4 CHANGED
The Arkansas Racing Commission approved moving the start of the early Pick 4 from Race 2 to Race 1 at their regularly scheduled meeting Saturday.
"We appreciate the Racing Commission working with us to improve our wagering menu," Director of Mutuels Milena Erceg said. "This has been something our players have been wanting and we're happy to now offer the Pick 4 starting with Race 1."
Starting Thursday, the early Pick 4 will begin with Race 1.
SPORTING CHANCE TO REBEL
Sporting Chance has returned to the track to begin preparations for his scheduled start in the $900,000 Rebel Stakes on March 17, Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas said Saturday morning.
Sporting Chance, in his 3-year-old and two-turn debut, finished third in Monday's $500,000 Southwest Stakes, Oaklawn's second of four major preps for the Kentucky Derby.
Making his first start since winning the $350,000 Hopeful Stakes on Sept. 4 at Saratoga, Sporting Chance was beaten 7 lengths by a ground-saving My Boy Jack in the 1 1/16-mile Southwest, which was run over a muddy track.
"It was good, coming off the layoff," Lukas said. "We only started training him Dec. 10. I was really pleased."
Lukas noted the trouble Sporting Chance and jockey Luis Saez encountered approaching the 1/8 pole, when they were squeezed by Combatant on the outside and Mourinho, a tiring front-runner, on the inside.
Sporting Challenge rallied from fourth to nip Mourinho for third, 2 ½ lengths behind runner-up Combatant. There was a stewards' inquiry into the stretch run, but no change in the order of finish.
"He recovered, but for them to look at that and not think that he was impeded in his progress, when he was making his move, is ridiculous," Lukas said. "They broke his momentum. It was obvious."
Lukas said Sporting Chance was where he needed to be in the Southwest, stalking Mourinho along the inside, before shifting out a path turning for home.
"He was placed well," Lukas said. "The way the race turned out, I guess, if Luis would have stayed on the rail, it would have really made a difference. He had the rail. He was inside there, and I think he thought he might get trapped, so he angled out. But had he stayed inside, he might have been really been prominently placed, and he would have probably avoided the traffic problem, too. I mean, that's race riding. What the hell?"
"Going to be a lot tighter in the Rebel," Lukas said. "A lot tighter, having that race underneath his belt."
Sporting Chance ranks 26th with two points in the Road to the Kentucky Derby standings.
BRAVAZO GOING TO LOUISIANA
Bravazo, a Jan. 13 entry-level allowance/optional claiming winner at Oaklawn, is pointing for the $1 million Louisiana Derby on March 24 at Fair Grounds, Trainer D. Wayne Lukas said. Bravazo secured a starting spot in the Kentucky Derby with his victory in last Saturday's $400,000 Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds.
Bravazo, who races for Calumet Farm, ranks No. 1 on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 54 points. The Kentucky Derby is limited to 20 starters, with points earned in designated races like the Southwest and Rebel used to determine starting preference if the race overfills.
HIGHER POWER TO REBEL?
Pin Oak Stable's Higher Power remains under consideration to make his stakes debut in the $900,000 Rebel on March 17, trainer Donnie K. Von Hemel said Saturday morning.
Higher Power, who is unbeaten in two career starts around two turns, was a three-quarter length winner of a split first-level allowance/optional claimer at mile Jan. 13 in his 3-year-old debut. The runner-up, New York Central, returned to clear his first allowance condition in Monday's 10th race.
The colt had been under consideration for last Monday's $500,000 Southwest Stakes before missing about a week of training because of a minor illness, Von Hemel.
Higher Power has breezed twice since the illness, including a half-mile move over a muddy track Monday morning.
"Just waiting for a [dry] track to work again," Von Hemel said with a laugh. "He's doing great."
Information for this report was contributed by Oaklawn media department.
Sports on 02/25/2018