Oaklawn Park report

— 2 days on ice enough

Horses returned to the track Friday morning at Oaklawn Park after training was interrupted for two days following a winter storm Tuesday that blanketed Hot Springs with about 10 inches of snow.

Remnants of the storm caused the track to close Wednesday for simulcasting and electronic games and cancel training Wednesday and Thursday.

“We lost one day of business, but it could have been worse,” said David Longinotti, Oaklawn’s assistant general manager/ racing. “With this many power outages there are around town, my biggest concern was power on the backside, but we never had a glitch.”

Oaklawn also was closed Tuesday, as scheduled, for Christmas.

The track is normally open for training from 7 a.m.

to 10:30 a.m., but training was delayed Friday (10 a.m.-1 p.m.) because of ice in the racing surface.

There were no timed workouts Friday.

Training was scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Saturday, but it was delayed an hour to again free the surface of ice.

Only seven horses were credited with timed workouts, the first coming moments after the track opened when Runaway Crypto covered a half-mile in :53.40 for trainer Danele Durham.

Longinotti said Oaklawn hopes to open the track for training today at 10 a.m.

Because of the recent cancellations, Longinotti said the track will be open for training Tuesday, New Year’s Day, probably from 7 a.m.-10:30 a.m.

Closing on 5,000

Jockey Calvin Borel remains on track to reach another career milestone at Oaklawn.

Borel, a two-time leading rider at Oaklawn, recorded his 4,999th career victory Friday night at Fair Grounds in New Orleans.

Borel’s victory aboard Malibu High was his last scheduled mount before Oaklawn opens Jan. 11.

Only 25 riders in North American history have reached 5,000 career victories.

Borel rode his 3,000th and 4,000th career winners at Oaklawn.

Malibu High, a 2-year-old Malibu Moon colt trained by Borel’s older brother, Cecil,is unbeaten in two career starts.

Albarado returning

Two-time Oaklawn jockey champion Robby Albarado plans to ride at the 2013 meeting.

Albarado, who has struggled this month at Gulfstream Park near Miami, hasn’t ridden regularly at Oaklawn since 2006, when numerous trainers and jockeys normally based at Fair Grounds in New Orleans were displaced because of Hurricane Katrina.

Albarado, 39, was Oaklawn’s leading rider in 1996 and 1997 before shifting his winter base to Fair Grounds.

Best known as the regular rider of Mineshaft and Curlin (each Horse of the Year), Albarado began Saturday with 4,449 career victories and $177 million in purse earnings, according to Equibase, racing’s official data-gathering organization.

Albarado’s career has stalled the past two years following domestic violence incidents. Albarado began Saturday just 1 for 43 at Gulfstream, which opened Dec. 1.

Final furlong

There were 1,042 horses on the grounds late Saturday morning. ... Mitch Dennison, who has overseen trainer Steve Asmussen’s Oaklawn division the past few years, is working for trainer Ron Moquett of Hot Springs.

... Grit and Grace, a 2-year-old daughter of 2007 Fantasy winner High Heels, is expected to run early in the Oaklawn meeting, trainer Gary “Red Dog” Hartlage said. Hartlage said Shoe Queen, a 2-year-old full sister to High Heels, could be seen early in the meeting, too. Grit and Grace and Shoe Queen are maidens and race for their breeder, Anita Cauley of Louisville, Ky.

2013 Oaklawn Park live season

DATES Jan. 11-April 13 RACING DATES 56 NORMAL RACING SCHEDULE Thursday-Sunday SPECIAL MONDAY DATES Jan. 21, Feb.

18 NORMAL POST TIMES 1:30 p.m. (weekdays and Sundays), 1 p.m. (Saturdays) 2012 LEADING JOCKEY Cliff Berry 2012 LEADING TRAINER Steve Asmussen 2012 LEADING OWNER Midwest Thoroughbreds

Sports, Pages 32 on 12/30/2012

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