Oaklawn Park

After suffering the first loss of his young career last time, Thousand Words (Pioneerof the Nile) will try to get back in the winner's circle Saturday in the inaugural Oaklawn S. The $1-million KEESEP buy opened his account with a trio of victories, including the GII Los Alamitos Futurity S. Dec. 7 and the GIII Robert B. Lewis S. Feb. 1. The bay suffered his first loss at the hooves of his stablemate Authentic (Into Mischief) last time in the GII San Felipe S. Mar. 7. Steve Asmussen sends out...

GMB Racing's Tom's d'Etat (Smart Strike) closed out 2019 with a pair of decisive scores and looks to continue that winning skein in 2020 in the Oaklawn Mile. Capturing Saratoga's Alydar S. In August, the bay was fourth in the GI Woodward S. later that month. Returning to winning ways with a 4 1/4-length score in Keeneland's GII Fayette S. Oct. 26, he scored his first victory at the highest level in the GI Clark S. at Churchill Downs Nov. 29. Mr. Money (Goldencents), on the other hand, looks to register...

Courtesy Oaklawn Barn Notes Bob Baffert has had to hit the reset button in pursuit of his record-tying sixth GI Kentucky Derby victory. Fortunately for the Hall of Fame trainer, he still has the same buttons to push. The first comes Saturday afternoon at Oaklawn when he sends out 5-2 program favorite Thousand Words (Pioneerof the Nile) in the $200,000 Oaklawn S. for 3-year-olds at 1 1/8 miles. Thousand Words, a $1-million Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, is among four highly regarded Kentucky Derby prospects for the Southern California-based Baffert,...

Wells Bayou (Lookin at Lucky) returned to the work tab for the first time since his Mar. 21 GII Louisiana Derby victory with a four-furlong drill in :49.80 (32/56) at Oaklawn Park Monday. With the GI Kentucky Derby postponed until September and no new date yet released for the GI Preakness S., the bay colt could make his next start in the May 2 GI Arkansas Derby. "We'd love to win the Arkansas Derby," co-owner Lance Gasaway told the Oaklawn Park media team after watching Wells Bayou train Saturday morning....

As one of the few remaining tracks still running races during the COVID-19 pandemic, Oaklawn Park has put jockeys and horsemen on notice that ship-in restrictions will be tightened in advance of the track's upcoming graded stakes races in April and May, which annually bring an influx of shippers to Arkansas. Ship-in jockeys must be named on a stakes mount in order to be cleared for riding on that day's card, and they will be denied access to both the backstretch and the main jockeys' quarters as part of health...

Carson McCord became a first-time racehorse owner when she claimed K J's Nobility (Primary Suspect) back in 2018, and the 6-year-old gelding, trained by Cecil Borel and ridden by Calvin Borel, gave the 20-year-old college sophomore her first stakes win when he came home first in the Nodouble Breeders' S. at Oaklawn Park Mar. 29. "We'd been waiting for that race since last year," McCord recalled. "We were really ready and pretty confident going into the race, which made us pretty nervous. I couldn't breathe until he passed the finish."...

Ten Broeck Farm's Kimari (Munnings) may be in line for a return date at the Royal Ascot meeting this summer following her win in the Purple Martin S. at Oaklawn Saturday. Trainer Wesley Ward said the tentative plan for Kimari, who was second in last year's G2 Queen Mary S., is to return to England for the June 19 G1 Commonwealth Cup. "She's going to be just a pure sprinter, dirt or turf," Ward said after his first career Oaklawn victory Saturday. "We'll probably try to stick a little bit...

7th-OP, $61K, Alw, NW1X, 3yo/up, f/m, 6f, 5:06 p.m. ET Maryanorginger (Strong Mandate) makes her first start since debuting with a 'TDN Rising Star' performance after stumbling at the start in the Astoria S. at Belmont Park last June. The second-place finisher that day Perfect Alibi (Sky Mesa) followed up with victories in Saratoga's GII Adirondack S. and GI Spinaway S., respectively. The Gold Square colorbearer, a $190,000 FTKJUL yearling purchase, is trained by Jeremiah Englehart. TJCIS PPs 11th-GP, $46K, OC 75k/N1X, 3yo, 7f, 5:52 p.m. ET I'll Fight Dempsey...

Grade I winner Come Dancing (Malibu Moon), who has been staying in the D. Wayne Lukas barn after being shipped from Carlos Martin's outfit in New York, will remain with Lukas as she targets the Apr. 18 GI Apple Blossom H. for her seasonal debut. "Carlos Martin sent her in in beautiful shape, so my job is to keep her happy and move her forward," Lukas told the Oaklawn notes team. Lukas said fellow trainer Dale Romans suggested Martin, grandson of the late Hall of Fame trainer, Frank "Pancho" Martin,...

Oaklawn has announced that it is moving its signature race--the GI Arkansas Derby--from Saturday, Apr. 11 to Saturday, May 2, closing day of the 2020 live meet. Due to the closing of the casino and racetrack to the public, Oaklawn could have raced with purses intact through Apr. 18, but, upon discussions with the HBPA, decided instead to reduce purses across the board and "stay until May." As a result, the Arkansas Derby purse will be reduced to $750,000. "Churchill Downs understands the circumstances created by the current health crisis,...

On a day when racetracks around the world, including Keeneland, announced they would be shutting their doors due to the COVID-19 outbreak, NYRA, Oaklawn, Gulfstream and the Fair Grounds announced their intentions to continue racing. The decision by NYRA may have been the most surprising among the three as it came just hours after New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a ban of gatherings of 50 people or more and that restaurants, bars, movie theaters and casinos must shut down. Aqueduct's next scheduled day of live racing is Friday. As...

As the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic continues to wreak its havoc on society at large, racing and racing-related operations continue to be impacted. Oaklawn Park announced late Sunday that the adjoining casino will be closed for a period of two weeks beginning Monday with the announcement that two people in Garland County have tested positive for the virus. Operations will be suspended through Mar. 30 in the casino, the Silks Bar & Grill, Bistro 2075 and the sports book. The track is committed to holding racing without spectators. Gulfstream Park announced...