HOT SPRINGS — In a race filled with trouble, trouble, trouble, the end belonged to Archarcharch.
Archarcharch emerged from a wall of horses turning for home to win an eventful running of the $250,000 Grade III Southwest Stakes for 3-year olds on an overcast Monday afternoon at Oaklawn Park.
A season-high crowd of 25,237 watched Archarcharch, owned by Bob Yagos of Jacksonville and trained by Jinks Fires of Hot Springs, redeem himself from a poor performance last month.
Archarcharch, who was ridden by Fires’ son-in-law, Jon Court, finished a length ahead of J P’s Gusto, the 6-5 favorite.
Elite Alex finished another 1 1/4 lengths farther back in third.
It was another 1 1/2 lengths back to Picko’s Pride, a laterunning long shot trained by Mac Robertson, in fourth.
Yankee Passion, Caleb’s Posse, Grant Jack, Derivative, Brickyard Fast, Ghost Is Clear and Bonaroo completed the order of finish.
Most in the 11-horse field will have their past performances augmented with descriptions of trouble incurred in the Southwest, Oaklawn’s second major prep for the $1 million Grade I Arkansas Derby on April 16.
“I just had a poor trip,” said Eddie Razo, who rode Caleb’s Posse, perhaps the unluckiest of several unlucky horses in the race.
Archarcharch paid $31, $8.80 and $4.80. J P’s Gustopaid $3.60 and $2.80. Elite Alex paid $3.
Carrying 117 pounds, Archarcharch ran the mile over a fast track in 1:38.23.
“Different horse today,” said Yagos, owner of J B’s Auto Salvage in Jacksonville. “Different track.”
In his last start, Archarcharch faltered to finish a well-beaten fourth as the even-money favorite in the $100,000 Smarty Jones Stakes on Jan. 17.
Court blamed the poor performance - the first start around two turns for Archarcharch - on the colt being too aggressive early in the race, which was contested in damp conditions and dense fog.
Clearly, Archarcharch made the most of his second chance in the Southwest.
“It set up perfectly,” said Court, who has ridden Archarcharch in all four career starts. “In the Smarty Jones, I was almost forced to the front on a tiring track, and I knew his best chance today was going to be if he was able to sit right off the lead. He did it willingly today. We’re going to have a lot of fun with this horse.”
Court was able to keep Archarcharch fifth early, 6 1/2 lengths behind Derivative’s brisk :22.60 opening quarter.
Several paths off the rail down the backstretch, Archarcharch began moving up on the leaders as Derivative took the field through a :46.88 half-mile.
Archarcharch - four-wide - was among six horses stacked across the track at the quarter pole.
“He didn’t get away too well,” Fires said. “Then on the first turn, he got slammed around a little bit. I felt good when I saw Jon move up outside, because he was able to overcome all that. He’s a pretty agile horse.”
Archarcharch opened a 21/2-length advantage in the upper stretch and, responding to right-handed urging from Court, had enough to hold off J P’s Gusto.
J P’s Gusto, a Grade I winner making only his second start on dirt, had to briefly wait in traffic late on the second turn, then was bothered approaching the wire after Archarcharch drifted toward the rail.
Ramon Dominguez, who rode J P’s Gusto, didn’t claim foul. Nor was there a stewards’ inquiry.
“He just had such a rough trip,” said trainer Joe Petalino, who saddled J P’s Gusto for the first time Monday. “I know he’s never had that much dirt in his face the way he got shuffled around in there. Even the winner came over on him a little bit there at the end.
“I guess they [stewards] figured he was already beat, but pretty much nothing went right.”
Ditto for several others.
Caleb’s Posse was bottled up along the rail from late on the second turn until about the eighth pole.
Elite Alex, the 2-1 second choice, was parked five- and six-wide throughout under Calvin Borel.
“I just couldn’t get out when I needed to,” Borel said. “This colt is going to be all right. He wants to stretch out. I was a little wide and it hurt us.”
Picko’s Pride, a 79-1 shot under Israel Ocampo, began rolling from last on the second turn before applying the breaks behind a wall of horses straightening for home.
Picko’s Pride, after being angled off the inside, finally found a clear path approaching the eighth pole and collared five horses through the short stretch run.
“On the turn, several horsesstopped right in front of me,” Ocampo said. “I got my horse back in stride and he galloped out real well.”
But it wasn’t enough to catch Archarcharch, a son of Arch who won for the second time in four career starts. He claimed the $60,000 Sugar Bowl Stakes on Dec. 18 to push his career earnings to $202,744.
Sports, Pages 15 on 02/22/2011