Oaklawn Park report

— Surprises arise for Southwest

A field of 11, headed by J P’s Gusto, is entered in Monday’s $250,000 Grade III Southwest Stakes for 3-yearolds at Oaklawn Park.

It’s just not the 11 that many had figured.

Two projected starters for the 1-mile Southwest - Alternation and Bluegrass Bull - were instead entered in a third-level allowance race for 3- and 4-year-olds on Monday’s card.

Oaklawn racing secretary Pat Pope said he wrote the race at the request of trainers who desired a race at 1 1/16 miles and didn’t want to risk drawing a far outside post in the Southwest, which was limited to 14 starters.

Horses with outside posts in mile races at Oaklawn are normally at a disadvantage because of a short run to the first turn.

“I’m really pleased,” Pope said. “We’ll wait to see how the trainers feel.”

Trainer Donnie K. Von Hemel said potentially drawing a far outside post was a major reason why he bypassed the Southwest with the lightly-raced Alternation (a winner of 2 of 3 lifetime starts), when it became apparent that the allowance race would have sufficient entries to be run.

“I believe the mile and a sixteenth is better for our colt anyway,” Von Hemel said.

“He’s never run in a stakes race, so it might be better to take a half-stepright now, rather than a full step.”

If Alternation performs well Monday, Von Hemel said the $300,000 Grade II Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn on March 19 would be a logical target.

Dreaminofthewin, runnerup in the $100,000 Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn on Jan. 17, is the only other 3-year-old entered in the race.

Von Hemel and Jinks Fires of Hot Springs, trainer of Bluegrass Bull, will still be represented in the Southwest.

Von Hemel will saddle Smarty Jones winner Caleb’s Posse. Fires will saddle Archarcharch, fourth in the Smarty Jones.

J P’s Gusto, the likely Southwest favorite, will be making his 3-year-old debut and his first start for trainer Joe Petalino on Monday. J P’s Gusto won 4 of 8 starts last year, including the Grade I Del Mar Futurity.

In his last start, J P’s Gusto finished second in the $750,000 Grade I Cash Call Futurity on Dec. 18 at Hollywood Park in suburban Los Angeles.

J P’s Gusto will ridden for the first time by Ramon Dominguez, last year’s Eclipse Award winner as the country’s top jockey.

Also entered are Elite Alex, Yankee Passion, Grant Jack, Brickyard Fast, Derivative, Bonaroo, Ghost Is Clear and Picko’s Pride.

Pope said the only surprise entrant was Ghost Is Clear, who broke his maiden Jan. 27 at Fair Grounds in New Orleans for trainer Mike Maker.

Bonaroo, a maiden, is trained by Maker’s former boss, Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas.

Scheduled post time forthe Southwest, the ninth of 10 live races Monday, is 5:02 p.m. Racing begins at 1 p.m.

Oaklawn’s annual $55,000 progressive cash giveaway is also Monday.

Sherriff’s log

Sherriff Cogburn, trainer Don Von Hemel’s unbeaten 3-year-old colt, is now training at Oaklawn after arriving in Hot Springs on Tuesday.

Owned by country music star Toby Keith, Sherriff Cogburn was turned out following a 9 1/4-length victory in the $60,000 Prairie Meadows Juvenile Mile on Aug. 6 at Prairie Meadows in Iowa.

In his only other start, Sherriff Cogburn broke his maiden by 7 lengths July 1 at Arlington Park in suburban Chicago. He has spent the last few months at Keith’s farm in Oklahoma.

Von Hemel has said Sherriff Cogburn is not a candidate for the $1 million Grade I Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn on April 16 and will instead be pointed for a summer campaign.

Final furlong

Motel Tan, who doesn’t have a right eye, finished seventh in Saturday’s first race. ... In Saturday’s fourth race, Perfect Brother represented the ninth runner-up finish at the meeting for trainer Ingrid Mason. ... Bluegrass Jam, third in an entry-level allowance race Feb. 11 at Fair Grounds in New Orleans, is being pointed toward the $300,000 Grade II Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn on March 19, said Pat Tanner of Glenwood, assistant to trainer Jinks Fires of Hot Springs.

Sports, Pages 29 on 02/20/2011

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