Oaklawn Park

We're approaching the five-week mark to the GI Kentucky Derby, but not all contenders on this week's list are aiming for the first Saturday in May. This coming weekend's nine-furlong stakes at Oaklawn and Gulfstream have the potential to usher in a shake-up within the rankings, which have remained relatively stable as winter edges into spring. 1) MUTH (c, Good Magic--Hoppa, by Uncle Mo) 'TDN Rising Star'. O-Zedan Racing Stables Inc; B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY); T-Bob Baffert. Sales history: $190,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $2,000,000 2yo '23 OBSMAR. Lifetime Record: GSW,...

In a field of 10, 'TDN Rising Stars' GISW Muth (Good Magic) and GISW Timberlake (Into Mischief) have drawn the seven and two gate spots, respectively, and lead the charge in Oaklawn's feature GI Kentucky Derby prep race, the GI Arkansas Derby. Muth, 8-5 on the morning line, will attempt to give Bob Baffert his fifth win in the contest, but hasn't started since finding the winner's enclosure in the GII San Vicente S. Jan. 6 at Santa Anita. The colt is ineligible for the Derby points and to run...

WinStar Farm and Siena Farm's Timberlake (Into Mischief), winner of the Feb. 24 GII Rebel S., will return to Oaklawn Park for the Mar. 30 GI Arkansas Derby, trainer Brad Cox confirmed Wednesday. "I like the timing," Cox said. "Obviously, he has the experience there now, that one run under him. I kind of thought the Rebel was the spot when we were getting started. At the beginning of the winter, we thought the Rebel was the spot. It worked out." Timberlake worked five furlongs in 1:02.00 (18/30) at Cox's...

Harry Rosenblum and Cheyenne Stable's Time for Truth (Omaha Beach) tuned up for an expected start in the Mar. 30 GI Arkansas Derby with a six-furlong work in 1:13.00 (1/1) work over a muddy Oaklawn strip Saturday. "This was our meat and potatoes," trainer Ron Moquett said of the work. "Then, we'll put a side on him next week." A debut winner at Oaklawn on New Year's Eve, Time for Truth was second in the Feb. 10 Ozark S., but missed out on a start in the GII Rebel S....

4th-Oaklawn, $140,000, Alw (NW1$X)/Opt. Clm ($125,000), 3-3, 3yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:45.10, ft, 8 1/2 lengths. IMPEL (f, 3, Quality Road--Your Love {SW & GSP, $335,000}, by Flatter) earned 'TDN Rising Star' honors with a dazzling debut win over a fast six furlongs at Fair Grounds Jan. 1. Entered as an also-eligible for last Friday's Cincinnati Trophy S. at Turfway, the Juddmonte homebred showed up in this spot as the 6-5 favorite instead and made the most of the swap. Always right off the hip of pacesetter Hayek (Cairo Prince),...

Trainer Brad Cox confirmed that FMQ Stables' Saudi Crown (Always Dreaming), a brave third in the G1 Saudi Cup after setting bruising fractions up front, has shipped to Dubai and has settled in at Meydan Raceourse. The $45,000 Keeneland January short-yearling turned $240,000 OBS April breezer holds an entry for the G1 Dubai World Cup, where he would face a rematch with the two horses that finished ahead of him last weekend--Senor Buscador (Mineshaft) and Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}). But Cox aid that the tentatively target is the Mar....

WinStar Farm's Timberlake (Into Mischief) exited his win in Saturday's GII Rebel S. in fine shape, according to Jorgito Abrego, Oaklawn Park assistant to trainer Brad Cox. "He looks good," Abrego said. "Looks very happy." Timberlake, winner of last year's GI Champagne S. and fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, collected 50 qualifying points for the victory and has 66 overall to rank number one on the Kentucky Derby leader board released Saturday by Churchill Downs. The Rebel was his first victory around two turns. "I'm very happy," said...

The team at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company does everything it can to run a clean sale. Under OBS's conditions of sale, no medication may be administered within 24 hours of a horse's under-tack performance, 10 to 15% of the horses who are going to sell are tested, and in 2019, OBS prohibited the use of bronchodilators like Clenbuterol at all of its sales. It may not be enough. The Jeffrey Englehart story has suggested that may be the case. Englehart bought a Classic Empire colt at the OBS auction...

Two turns? It turns out there's no problem. When Timberlake (c, 3, Into Mischief--Pin Up {Ire}, by Lookin At Lucky) finished a somewhat rank, then flat, fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile last November, questions swirled about his ability to get two turns. Trainer Brad Cox brushed the questions aside and let the horse do the talking. A freshened Timberlake, making his first start of the year in Oaklawn's GII Rebel S. Saturday, captured the $1.3-million race by a resounding two lengths over Kenny McPeek trainees Common Defense (Karakontie...

The coach strikes again. Before seeing any past performances, if one was asked to guess Saturday morning before the day's races which trainer might break a maiden in a graded Kentucky Oaks points race while at the same time helping a young jockey get his first career graded score, odds are the first name off of most everyone's lips would be D. Wayne Lukas. The Hall of Famer, with his usual flair for the unconventional, sent out 28-1 Lemon Muffin (f, 3, Collected--Pelt, by Canadian Frontier) under Keith Asmussen to...

The massive deep freeze which crippled the second half of Oaklawn Park's January cards seems like a distant memory, as weekend weather in Hot Springs looks to punch through the upper 60s and into the lower 70s. The sunshine will be a welcome sight with points intended for passage to the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Kentucky Oaks ripe for the picking.   Timberlake Favorite Choice in Rebel The Arkansas series for the colts features another running of the GII Rebel S., which brings together a field of 13. The...

When considering the speculative nature of America's financial future, President Harry S. Truman famously exhorted his aides to bring him a one-handed economist. "All of my economists say 'on the one hand'..., then 'but on the other hand'...," the plain-talking Missourian from Independence famously quipped. To put it another way, convictions matter, not the pros and cons. You are either in or you're not. Horse racing, or more specifically preparing for the 150th Kentucky Derby is no different. It's about possessing sterner stuff. Another Harry Truman, Harry Truman Rosenblum that...