Oaklawn

Oaklawn leading rider David Cabrera likely will miss the remainder of the 2021-2022 meeting after sustaining upper back, neck and head injuries from a spill in Friday's first race, his agent Joe Santos said. Santos said Cabrera has compressed C5 and C6 vertebrae, crushed cheekbones and suffered a concussion in the accident, which occurred in the upper stretch after his mount Mostly Awesome (Fusaichi Pegasus) clipped heels when in tight and fell, throwing the jockey to the ground. A trailing horse jumped the fallen Mostly Awesome near the three-sixteenths pole,...

Ce Ce (Elusive Quality), game winner of the 2020 GI Apple Blossom H., underscored her affinity for Oaklawn with another game victory in Saturday's GII Azeri S. The 2021 champion female sprinter was squeezed slightly at the start by the wayward Lady Mystify (Bernardini), while Pauline's Pearl (Tapit) took the worst of it and was forced back sharply as defending Azeri champ and race favorite Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil) raced out to take control. Showing the way through an opening quarter in :23.44 followed by a :47.53 half, the leader continued to...

We the People (Constitution) proved his good-looking debut was not a flash in the pan with another dominant score in an allowance at Oaklawn Saturday, earning the 'TDN Rising Star' distinction. The $230,000 FTFMAR purchase donned cap and gown with a powerful 5 3/4-length score in his one-mile career bow at this oval Feb. 12, earning an 83 Beyer Speed Figure. Hammered down to 2-5 favoritism to repeat in this first try against winners, We the People broke well and set his sights on the leader, hustling up to press...

Robertino Diodoro, currently second in wins and fourth by earnings in the Oaklawn Park trainer standings, had a fifth-place finisher from three months ago disqualified via stewards' ruling Monday because of a Class 4 dexamethasone positive. Although the DQ ruling itself did not impose a fine upon Diodoro, a separate stewards' ruling fined him $1,000 under the "absolute insurer" clause. By issuing a separate fine, the Oaklawn stewards handled Diodoro's Class 4 positive similar to how they did in 2020 when Diodoro had two winners and a fifth-place horse disqualified...

Heading into the GII Rebel S. a lot of people may not have known the name Ricky Courville. That's the way it is when you're a small-time trainer based in Louisiana who, going into the Rebel, had never had a graded stakes winner, let alone one in a $1-million race. They know who he is now. Courville pulled off the upset of the year when winning the Rebel with 75-1 shot Un Ojo (Laoban), a one-eyed horse who now has enough points to make it into the field for the...

Briland Farm homebred Secret Oath (Arrogate) laid down yet another marker on her march toward the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks, streaking clear of her foes for a fluent 7 1/2-length romp in Saturday's GIII Honeybee S. at Oaklawn Park. Prohibitively favored, with GII Golden Rod S. runner-up Yuugiri (Shackleford) the only other one the bettors wanted, Secret Oath had to be re-balanced after breaking a bit inward at the start and was a joint-last into the clubhouse turn as Optionality (Gun Runner) and Yuugiri matched motors up front. A fraction...

Wayne Lukas has won the GI Kentucky Oaks four times, but should there be a fifth this year it would no doubt be among the most special accomplishments of this Hall of Famer's career. He's no longer able to attack the race with an arsenal of well-bred, expensive and talented horses sent his way by some of the sport's biggest owners. Those days are long gone. Instead, the 86-year-old trainer will have to overcome the odds and an inherent bias in the sport against older trainers and try to win...

Sent off the 39-10 second choice behind even-money Barossa (Into Mischief), Barry and Joni Butzow's Zozos (Munnings) sat a tracking trip and shot clear from the market leader to become yet another 'TDN Rising Star' Friday at Oaklawn Park. Making his first start for Rodolphe Brisset, having previously been trained by Bob Baffert, Barossa--a latest distant third in the GII Los Alamitos Futurity--showed the most early interest, but Florent Geroux aboard Zozos would not allow that rival to steal away on an easy lead. Held right at Barossa's flank, Zozos...

Bob Baffert has a chance to sweep Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby preps as he saddles three of the five runners in Santa Anita's GII San Vicente and the morning-line favorite in Oaklawn's GIII Southwest S. in Newgrange (Violence). A debut winner at Del Mar Nov. 28, the dark bay wired Santa Anita's GIII Sham S. next out Jan. 1, earning a field's-best 88 Beyer Speed Figure. Smarty Jones S. top three Dash Attack (Munnings), Barber Road (Race Day) and Ignitis (Nyquist) rematch here. Opening his account with a 1 1/4-length...

9th-Oaklawn, $84,000, Msw, 1-23, 3yo, f, 6f, 1:10.83, ft, 3 3/4 lengths. HOT AND SULTRY (f, 3, Speightster--Hot Water, by Medaglia d'Oro) burst out of the gate at Oaklawn Sunday with her mind on running and never looked back, toying with the field for a facile 3 3/4-length score. The dark bay was sent as the 8-5 choice and kept a narrow advantage through :21.97 and :46.21 splits. She changed leads on cue coming off the turn, batted off her rivals, and drew clear in the stretch, easing up late...

Flying P Stable and R. A. Hill Stable's Lone Rock (Majestic Warrior), winner of the 13-furlong GII Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance S. on the Breeders' Cup undercard at Del Mar Nov. 6, is a possible candidate for the G1 $12-million Dubai World Cup Mar. 26, according to trainer Robertino Diodoro. If all goes well in the 7-year-old gelding's next start, the GIII Razorback H. at Oaklawn Feb. 12, the Dubai World Cup will likely be next. "I don't know if we have to win [the Razorback]," Diodoro said. "We are shortening...

The Week in Review by T.D. Thornton Oaklawn Park readjusted its series of prep races for the GI Kentucky Derby this year by moving back the date of its premier stakes, the GI Arkansas Derby, so it now sits five weeks out from the first Saturday in May instead of the traditional three. That changed the overall complexion of the prep-race picture so that the final three nine-furlong stakes that award 100 coveted Derby qualifying points to the winner will all take place Apr. 9. This means that for the...