Oaklawn Park

Poor old Mr. Big News (Giant's Causeway). He very quickly turned into yesterday's news, didn't he? The dust had barely settled on his breakout success, in the Oaklawn S. Saturday, when his trainer supplanted him with a rather less welcome headline of his own. True, Bret Calhoun's Class B violation--reported in Wednesday's TDN--was a relatively modest affair. Though cannabidiol is the second most active ingredient in marijuana, it is evidently considered fairly innocuous. In view of his overall record, and mitigating circumstances, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission stayed two-thirds of...

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar. In this edition, Pit Boss (Union Rags) is highlighted following a second-place finish on debut for trainer Wayne Catalano at Oaklawn Park last weekend. Previous runners featured in this column include: MGISW and 'TDN Rising Star' Paradise Woods (Union Rags), GSW Backyard Heaven (Tizway), MSW and 'TDN Rising Star' Gidu (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), the highly regarded GII San Felipe S. runner-up Honor A. P. (Honor Code) and GII...

Oaklawn President Louis Cella has confirmed that the Oaklawn meet will end as scheduled May 2. Just one of five tracks still operating in the U.S., Oaklawn's handle numbers have soared during the coronavirus outbreak, but Cella, in an email to the TDN, pointed to other reasons why the meet will be ending. "First, we have no purse money left," he wrote. "Second, it takes all summer for us to pick up, re-test, re-mix and re-place our entire track cushion, while inspecting the base. We do this annually and it...

Owner and breeder John Kerber estimates that he purchased his first broodmare in 1960, three years into his tenure as a junior high school science teacher. Some six decades later, undefeated 'TDN Rising Star' Ain't No Elmers (Goldencents) is the filly the affable octogenarian calls "the one I've been waiting for my whole life." "At my age, how many more like this can I expect?" wondered Kerber, 83, who resides in the small town of Emmetsburg, Iowa, in the northwest quadrant of the state. Kerber acquired the filly's dam, Voussoir...

Oaklawn Park, which continues to be Thoroughbred racing's headline act in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, hosts the Apple Blossom H. this Saturday, the first of the track's two Grade I events. While 2019 GI Kentucky Oaks victress Serengeti Empress (Alternation) figures a warm favorite off her course-and-distance romp in the GIII Azeri S. Mar. 14, trainer Larry Jones is hopeful that Street Band (Istan) return to same form that saw her beat Serengeti Empress into sixth in last year's GI Cotillion S. "She's doing well, everything seems to...

Grade I winner Tom's d'Etat (Smart Strike) picked up where he left off in 2019, pouncing late to deny 'TDN Rising Star' Improbable (City Zip) in the Oaklawn Mile S. Saturday. Saving ground, the 4-5 chalk bided his time well back off the pace in mid-pack as Pioneer Spirit (Malibu Moon) and Boldor (Munnings) traded blows through opening splits of :22.90 and :46.09. Grade I-winning Improbable (City Zip), who had been stalking wide throughout, pounced on the pacesetter on the backstretch to take control heading into the far turn. Meanwhile,...

7th-Oaklawn, $60,000, Msw, 4-11, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:44.41, ft. EARNER (c, 3, Carpe Diem--Devious d'Oro {SP, $169,047}, by Medaglia d'Oro) was pounded into 4-5 favoritism off a debut second to 'TDN Rising Star' and subsequent Oaklawn allowance scorer Echo Town (Speightstown) in a six-furlong Fair Grounds maiden Jan. 18 and gave trainer Steve Asmussen a rolling personal Pick 3 with a dominating maiden victory Saturday at Oaklawn Park. Drawn outside in gate 11, the chestnut raced three deep around the first turn in the second flight of horses and improved...

Dispatched as the 6-5 favorite to remain unbeaten and build on a debut success sprinting six furlongs over this main track Feb. 15, Winchell Thoroughbreds' homebred Pneumatic (Uncle Mo) handled a stretch out to two turns with aplomb to become the newest 'TDN Rising Star' Saturday in Hot Springs. Pneumatic bounced well from gate seven and was four wide entering the first turn before tucking in a path or two while tugging eagerly for his head. Settled a bit better when steered out into the clear midway down the backstretch,...

5th-Oaklawn, $60,000, Msw, 4-11, 3yo, f, 6f, 1:09.24, ft. CASUAL (f, 3, Curlin--Lady Tak {MGISW, $1,160,782}, by Mutakddim), off at 9-2 following a string of sharp morning drills, settled just behind the leading draft led by Millennium Force (Declaration of War) through a quick :21.60 quarter. Still cruising through a half mile in :44.85, Casual was locked and loaded entering the home turn, but was still blocked behind a wall of horses. Finally finding the sliver of daylight she needed, she cut her way through rivals in the stretch, and...

Hot Springs has long been a sanctuary when people need to avoid New York. The mobster Owney Madden settled there in 1935; the following year, its casinos and obliging law enforcement made it an obvious place for Lucky Luciano to lie low. A relative concept, lying low: Luciano was swanking around the Hotel Arlington with his showgirl Gay Orlova, a Russian refugee described by Broadway impresario Earl Carroll as "the sexiest gal who ever worked for me." Luciano was dressed up for the races on Apr. 1 when he had...

Like most owners, Joe Sutton asks only for a level playing field, which is why he is still trying to make sense of the fact that Blackberry Wine (Oxbow) will be allowed to run in Saturday's fourth race at Oaklawn against his colt Scabbard (More Than Ready). Blackberry Wine has crossed the wire first on three occasions, but, so far as his official record goes, only one counts. He was disqualified from purse money in two of his starts after testing positive for the drug levamisole. Because of the demotions,...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency WELL-BRED CURLIN FILLY DEBUTS AT OAKLAWN 5th-OP, $60K, Msw, 3yo, f, 6f, 3:41p.m. Steve Asmussen unveils a blue-blooded filly in Hill 'n' Dale and Stretch Run homebred CASUAL (Curlin). Out of MGISW and millionaire Lady Tak (Mutakddim), the chestnut is a half-sister to SW & GSP Japanese runner and millionaire A Shin Spartan (Zensational and SW Melody Lady (Unbridled's Song), who is the dam of SW & GSP Buy Sell Hold (Violence). TJCIS PPs   PLETCHER UNVEILS EXPENSIVE LIAM'S MAP 8th-GP, $45K, Msw, 3yo/up, 1mT,...