Oaklawn Park

Under normal circumstances, with many tracks running on a busy Saturday afternoon, it's not uncommon to see races at different venues go off on top of each other. The occurrence usually leads to a flurry of frustrated tweets, with bettors, fans and even racing participants wondering why the issue can't be remedied--it seems like it should be an easy fix. Last Saturday, the convergence of post times reached a new level of irrationality. With the Tampa Bay Downs card already in the books, just two Thoroughbred-only tracks were holding races--Gulfstream...

Last year's champion juvenile colt Storm the Court (Court Vision) is on target for the May 2 GI Arkansas Derby following a five-furlong work in 1:13.60 (3/3) at Santa Anita Monday, trainer Peter Eurton confirmed. Eurton also plans to enter Shooters Shoot (Competitive Edge), winner of a one-mile allowance at Oaklawn Apr. 11, for the nine-furlong race. "Very pleased with his work," Eurton said of Storm the Court. "Very pleased with Shooters Shoot. I know it's going to be tough on both ends with Bob [Baffert]'s two horses, but we're...

Well, I guess even Clement L. Hirsch might have had to scratch his head once or twice, if he were still around, to help confront the challenges facing Santa Anita over the past year or so. But there's no doubt that we could all, in the present crisis, usefully emulate the spirit of altruistic dynamism by which he sustained Californian racing in his own time. In 1969, Hirsch and his partners began a game-changing, not-for-profit enterprise at the Oak Tree Racing Association and established a similar regime at the Del...

Autumn Hill Farms Racing Stables Inc.'s Bobby's Wicked One (Speightstown), who was eased home last of 11 as the 9-2 fourth choice after attending a hot early pace in Saturday's GIII Count Fleet Sprint H. at Oaklawn, has emerged none the worse for wear from the effort, trainer Al Stall, Jr. said Monday. "Not so far, he's had a couple of days off, but he goes back to the track [Tuesday]," the conditioner said when asked if anything came to hand post-race. "He will throw in a clunker sometimes. He...

10th-Oaklawn, $60,000, Msw, 4-19, 3yo/up, f/m, 6f, 1:09.96, sy. MERNEITH (f, 3, American Pharoah--Flattermewithroses {SW}, by Flatter) With American Pharoah and Cairo Prince around, one would naturally expect Egyptian choices to be popular in the naming of horses, but the name of Oaklawn winner MERNEITH is really outstanding and fitting. She is a filly by American Pharoah and, "Merneith may have been the first female pharaoh and the earliest queen regnant in recorded history", according to Wikipedia. Please note the slight difference in the spelling of the designation of the...

Clint and Lance Gasaway, Madaket Stables and Wonder Stables' Wells Bayou (Lookin at Lucky), most recently winner of the GII Louisiana Derby, continued training towards a potential start in the May 2 GI Arkansas Derby with a five-furlong work in 1:00.40 (9/17) at Oaklawn Park Sunday. Wells Bayou, on the outside during his drill with maiden stablemate Wild Union (Bayern), was credited with splits of :24.40 for his opening quarter-mile, :36.80 for three furlongs, :48.40 for a half-mile and galloping out six furlongs in 1:12.40 and seven furlongs in 1:26.40....

In 13 previous trips to the races at Oaklawn Park, Whitmore (Pleasantly Perfect) had never finished out of the top three, including a third-place effort to future GI Belmont S. hero Creator (Tapit) in the GI Arkansas Derby some four Aprils ago. Since reinvented as a top sprinter--not entirely shocking given that he won his first seven starts going one turn--the popular 7-year-old made history Saturday in Hot Springs, withstanding a run from last by Flagstaff (Speightstown) to land the GIII Count Fleet Sprint H. for the third time in...

Bellafina (Quality Road), tuning up for the Apr. 25 Carousel S. at Oaklawn Park, worked four furlongs in :47.80 (20/105) under Joe Talamo at the Hot Springs oval Saturday morning. Clockers caught the 4-year-old filly with a final quarter-mile of :23.60 and galloping out five furlongs in 1:00.20. "Unbelievable," Talamo said after getting on Bellafina for the first time. "Absolutely skipped over the track this morning." Bellafina, who shipped in from trainer Simon Callaghan's Southern California base Tuesday, was having her first work over the Oaklawn track Saturday. The three-time...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 8th-GP, $46K, Alw/OC ($75K), N1X, 3yo, 1mT, 4:25 ET ERJ Racing and Gary Barber's PATROL (Liam's Map) takes on an experienced group of foes as he looks to remain unbeaten in his turf debut Sunday. A $190,000 KEESEP yearling, he was the second-priciest juvenile to sell at Keeneland April last term at $360,000 off a co-quickest furlong breeze in :10 flat. Turned over to Mark Casse, he made a successful debut sprinting at Aqueduct Feb. 15. He has a right to handle the surface switch...

GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Serengeti Empress (Alternation) tops a field littered with talent--and Grade I winners--in Saturday's GI Apple Blossom S. at Oaklawn. After taking home the lilies in May, the fleet-footed filly completed the exacta in the GI Acorn S. at Belmont June 8 and missed by a half-length after a gritty stretch battle with two-time champion Covfefe (Into Mischief) in the GI Test S. at the Spa Aug. 3. Third in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff Nov. 2, the dark bay was second to the re-opposing Lady Apple...

A full and competitive field, headed by Grade I winner Whitmore (Pleasantly Perfect), will line up at Oaklawn Saturday for the GIII Count Fleet Sprint H. Third in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint S. in November, he was off the board in the GI Cigar Mile, but bounced back with a runner-up effort behind the reopposing Share the Upside (Maclean's Music) in Oaklawn's King Cotton S. Feb. 8. The chestnut captured this venue's Hot Springs S. last time Mar. 7. Flagstaff (Speightstown) makes his first start outside of California here...

TVG will partner with NBC Sports to bring live horse racing into the homes of fans across the country for the fourth consecutive weekend with 12 hours of coverage, including the GI Apple Blossom H. and GIII Count Fleet Sprint H. from Friday, Apr. 17 through Sunday, Apr. 19 from 4-8 p.m. ET all three days. In addition to Oaklawn Park, TVG will also be showing racing from Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs. "Trackside Live" will be hosted by Todd Schrupp and will include expert analysis and exclusive interviews....