DAY 16 of 57
THURSDAY'S ATTENDANCE 2,000
THURSDAY'S ON-TRACK HANDLE $186,598
THURSDAY'S OFF-TRACK HANDLE $3,069,535
THURSDAY'S TOTAL HANDLE $3,256,133
TODAY'S POST TIME 1:30 p.m. (Gates open at 11 a.m.)
ADMISSION Free for general admission; reserved seats $4.50
PARKING $2 until 4 p.m.
TODAY'S SIMULCAST SCHEDULE Laurel Park, 11:25 a.m.; Tampa Bay, 11:35 a.m.; Gulfstream Park, noon; Aqueduct, 12:20 p.m.; Fair Grounds, 12:30 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, 5:55 p.m.; Charles Town, 6 p.m.; Daytona Beach (greyhounds), 6:25 p.m.; Derby Lane (greyhounds), 6:30 p.m.; Sam Houston, 6:45 p.m.
THURSDAY'S STARS
Jockeys David Cohen and Fernando De La Cruz picked up two victories each Thursday. Cohen got the day started with a victory aboard Kaliste Rose ($5.20, $3.20, $2.60) in the first race, who covered 6 furlongs in 1:12.04. He then rode El Asesino ($3.60, $3.20, $2.40) to victory in the third race, covering 6 furlongs in 1:10.94.
De La Cruz rode two horses who led to some of the better payouts Thursday. He was on The Dark Jewel ($13.80, $5.40, $3.80) in the fourth race and Codetowin ($25.80, $6.80, $3.40) in the seventh race. Both races were 6 furlongs, with The Dark Jewel going in 1:13.47 and Codetowin covering it in 1:10.68.
Cohen now has 19 victories in 89 mounts for the meeting, which is one victory ahead of Ricardo Santana in the jockey standings and six ahead of Martin Garcia. De La Cruz has nine victories in 65 mounts, which is good for sixth place in the jockey standings.
EIGHT IS ENOUGH?
Multiple Oaklawn stakes winner Hoonani Road is scheduled to make his 5-year-old debut in Saturday's fifth race, a conditioned allowance sprint for Arkansas-breds.
Hoonani Road, owned by Jerry Caroom of Hot Springs and trained by Wayne Catalano, is unbeaten in seven career starts at Oaklawn -- all against state-breds -- including the 2018 Rainbow Stakes, as well as the Nodouble Breeders' Stakes and the Arkansas Breeders' Championship Stakes last year.
Regular rider Channing Hill will be aboard Hoonani Road, who is scheduled to face familiar rivals Glacken's Ghost, Racer and J.E.'s Handmedown -- all state-bred stakes winners at Oaklawn -- and KJ's Nobility, beaten only by a half-length in the Arkansas Breeders' Championship.
"As long as he keeps doing good, stays good, hopefully he has the same year as he did last year," Hill said. "He's gotten much thicker. Mentally, he's taken a nice step forward, where he kind of went from Baby Huey to knowing what he wants and what he doesn't want."
FINISH LINES
Triple Crown nominee Background broke his maiden in Monday's 10th race to give trainer Mike Puhich his second career Oaklawn victory and 490th overall, according to Equibase. The Pacific Northwest-based Puhich, wintering in Hot Springs for the first time, had his first Oaklawn winner since 2004. ... Millionaires Hawaakom and Shotgun Kowboy are entered in today's eighth race, an allowance/optional claimer for older horses at 11/8 miles. Hawaakom is an Oaklawn stakes winner, taking the Grade III Razorback Handicap for older horses in 2018. ... Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert's first scheduled starter of the meet, Morning Snow, is entered in Saturday's eighth race, an allowance sprint for older horses. Morning Snow, a 4-year-old son of Morning Line, hasn't started since a maiden victory June 23 at Santa Anita.
Information for this report was contributed by Oaklawn media department
Sports on 02/21/2020