Oaklawn Park

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,...

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...