Oaklawn Park

Ryvit (Competitive Edge), recorded his third victory in-a-row at Oaklawn Park on Saturday afternoon and his first stakes win for the Heiligbrodts. After a debut second Apr. 13 at Keeneland, the bay colt was third May 5 at Churchill Downs in the Kentucky Juvenile S. Taking a break, he returned to action in Hot Springs Feb. 18 and was a well-beaten sixth before winning against restricted auction company Mar. 25. Stepping up against optional claimers, the Steve Asmussen trainee won from off-the-pace by 2 lengths Apr. 14. Facing a well-backed...

5th-Keeneland, $130,000, Alw (NW3$X)/Opt. Clm ($100,000), 4-28, 4yo/up, 1 1/8m, 1:50.29, gd, 3 lengths. WE THE PEOPLE (c, 4, Constitution--Letchworth, by Tiznow) was last seen in Parx's crowning GI Pennsylvania Derby as MGISW Taiba (Gun Runner), GISW Zandon (Upstart), and MGISW Cyberknife (Gun Runner) went on to fill the trifecta. Before that, he'd made a name for himself on the back of a 10 1/4-length score in the GIII Peter Pan S., and then ran fourth in the GI Belmont S. next out as stablemates GISW Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo)...

The handle on Thursday's nine-race card at Hawthorne was $2,080,655. That may not seem like much, but at Hawthorne, which opened Mar. 5, it was a cause for celebration. It was the fourth time this year that the Chicago-area track had topped the $2-million mark in handle, something that happened just once all of last year. What's going on? The answer, says Hawthorne Racing Analyst Jim Miller, is that bettors are gravitating towards the track's 12% takeout in the win, place and show pool, an industry low. "The lower takeout...

The names of some of this country's most accomplished Thoroughbred owners grace the honor roll as winners of the GII Oaklawn H., including Loblolly Stable, Greentree Stable, Allen Paulson, Golden Eagle, John Franks, Ogden Phipps, Jerry Moss, Pin Oak Stable and the late Oaklawn president Charles Cella. Following the conclusion of nine sometimes rough-and-tumble furlongs Saturday in Hot Springs, you can now add the name of Godolphin to the list, as the operation's immaculately bred 5-year-old Proxy (Tapit) stormed down the center of the track and managed to outfinish defending...

He is the most talented horse--pound for pound--in a field of seven that was drawn earlier this week, but Whisper Hill Farm's 'TDN Rising Star' Charge It (Tapit) nevertheless has a fair bit to prove as the 8-5 morning-line favorite in Saturday's $1-million GII Oaklawn H. in Hot Springs. The 23-length winner of last year's GIII Dwyer S., the homebred returned with a stylish Gulfstream allowance victory first off a seven-month absence Feb. 5, but exits a disappointing runner-up effort in the GII Gulfstream Park Mile Mar. 4. The blinkers...

An unintended consequence of moving all of the final, 100-point, nine-furlong preps for the GI Kentucky Derby to four weeks out is that there is now nearly a full month without any meaningful (to the general public) action in the lead-up to America's most historic and important horse race. When viewed alongside other professional sports, which have significantly expanded their playoff structures in recent seasons to capitalize on the immediacy (and bettability) of wild-card  and play-in games with last-chance qualifying berths on the line, the lead-up to the Derby has...

Secret Oath (Arrogate) looked home free after inhaling the longtime runaway pacesetter and striding confidently clear into the Oaklawn stretch, but Clairiere (Curlin) was unleashing a powerful stretch run of her own that saw the Stonestreet homebred just get her nose in front on the wire in a dramatic finish to the GI Apple Blossom H. Saturday in Hot Springs. Hot and Sultry (Speighster) caught a flyer out of the gate and was some seven lengths in front down the backstretch as she cut out fractions of :24.01 and :47.88...

One of the most progressive horses to race during this year's meet at Oaklawn Park, Red Lane Thoroughbreds' Skelly (Practical Joke) took Saturday's $500,000 GIII Count Fleet Sprint H. by the scruff of the neck and never gave any of his rivals a chance, as he led past every pole for an impressive first victory at the stakes and graded stakes level. Having earned the right to contest a race of this caliber off big-figure allowance scores in the slop Feb. 25 and over a fast strip Mar. 17, the...

Angel of Empire (Classic Empire) and Wet Paint (Blame) weren't the only 3-year-olds to impress on Oaklawn Park's loaded GI Arkansas Derby program. WinStar Farm and Siena Farm's Federal Judge (c, 3, Army Mule--Congarette, by Congaree) announced his presence with authority on the undercard, kicking off his career for trainer Rodolphe Brisset with a razor sharp, front-running performance, good for a flashy 97 Beyer Speed Figure. He broke sharply from post five beneath Ricardo Santana, Jr. and quickly cleared his six rivals, including a trio of older horses, at debut...

Jockey Florent Geroux has been suspended two days by the Oaklawn Park stewards for "careless riding while allowing his mount to cause interference multiple times" after a winning ride in the Apr. 1 $200,000 Hot Springs S. that did not involve a foul claim, posted inquiry, or a disqualification. The penalty was handed down in a Monday ruling. Eyeing Clover (Lookin At Lucky) scored by a length as the 9-5 second choice in Saturday's eighth race for owner Ten Strike Racing and trainer Brad Cox. Eyeing Clover, who was racing...

Ocean Reef Racing, a Key Largo, Florida-based syndicate made up of nine partners, has bought an interest in GII Rebel S. winner Confidence Game (Candy Ride {Arg}) from the colt's owner, Don't Tell My Wife Stable. Confidence Game is expected to make his next start in the GI Kentucky Derby for trainer Keith Desormeaux. William "Billy" Paytner, who heads the Ocean Reef syndicate, would not disclose the percentage that was purchased, but said that it was less than 50% and that Don't Tell My Wife will remain the principal owner....

Brad Cox saddled a trio of winners Saturday at Oaklawn with Angel of Empire (Classic Empire) taking the day's biggest prize in the GI Arkansas Derby. He also won the GIII Fantasy Stakes for 3-year-old fillies with heavily-favored Wet Paint (Blame) and the Hot Springs S. with Eyeing Clover (Lookin At Lucky). "It was a great day," Cox said during training hours Sunday morning at Oaklawn. "It was good. Big performance from that colt yesterday, Angel of Empire. We'll load him on Tuesday and ship to Kentucky and see what...