LITTLE ROCK — Big Lute runs big in debut
Trainer Steve Hobby of Hot Springs and owners Alex and JoAnn Lieblong of Conway hit a home run in Friday’s ninth race after striking out with two other highly regarded 3-year-old maidens at the meeting - Marshall Raylan and Mr Blackthorn.
Big Lute, a son of Midnight Lute, rolled to a 4 3/4-length debut victory under Robby Albarado, zipping 6 furlongs over a fast track in 1:10.43.
Moments later, Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert tweeted: “Big Lute looked good breaking maiden at Oaklawn.”
Baffert trained Midnight Lute, a two-time Breeders’ Cup Sprint champion.
Big Lute’s victory came after Marshall Raylan exited a fifth-place finish in his Jan. 11 career debut with a cracked knee, and Mr Blackthorn, in his 3-year-old debut, suffered a nasty cut on his left front leg during a seventh-place finish Jan. 19.
The Lieblongs purchased Big Lute for $275,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
Big Lute had seven published workouts at Oaklawn leading up to his debut.
“I really like him a lot,” Hobby said before the meeting.
Big Lute paid $6.60 to win. Favored Royal Dehere, owned by Tom Schueck of Little Rock, finished second, 23/4 lengths ahead of Only in America, a full brother to Dubai World Cup winner Well Armed.
Only in America, who was making his career debut, was fractious in the post parade, went almost immediately behind the gate after breaking away from the post parade, broke in at the start and raced erratically in the stretch.
Harty time
Trainer Eoin Harty has been at Oaklawn this week to check on his string of about 12 runners, the bulk owned by Texan Bill Casner.
Harty, a former assistant to Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, is based in Southern California, but has a division in Hot Springs for the first time this year.
“It’s all first class here,” Harty said during training hours Friday morning.
“I’m really happy here. I like the facility. I like the management. They seem to be horse friendly and business friendly. That’s a good business model.”
Harty said Liberty Girl, an opening-day entry-level allowance winner, will make her next start in the $75,000 Martha Washington Stakes for 3-year-old fillies Feb. 9.
Robby Albarado, Oaklawn’s leading jockey this year, will again ride the daughter of A.P. Warrior, Harty said.
Harty said he has nothing definite in mind for Endorsement, the beaten favorite in the $75,000 Fifth Season Stakes on Jan. 11.
Endorsement finished eighth behind Donoharm, Skyring, Win Willy and Master Rick, who are all entered in today’s $100,000 Essex Handicap.
Endorsement, who making his first start since August in the Fifth Season, has come back with two bullet works since the Fifth Season, but Harty decided to pass the Essex.
“I felt he worked good, but logically the horses that beat him - soundly - in his last race are all coming back in this race,” Harty said. “I had to find another spot.”
Harty said he’ll come up with a “game plan pretty quickly” for Endorsement, a multiple Grade III winner of $623,458.
Harty said Right to Vote, scratched from a Jan. 20 second-level allowance/ optional claiming sprint, is nearing his 4-year-old debut.
Right to Vote, runner up in last year’s $200,000 Grade II Peter Pan Stakes at Belmont in New York, hasn’t started since June because of a bone bruise in a rear leg.
Right to Vote has come back with two swift 5-furlong workouts since being scratched.
Derby Eve, a full sister to multiple Grade I winner Colonel John, should make her 3-year-old debut this month, Harty said.
“She’s an exciting prospect,” Harty said. “I’m not sure, ultimately, how good she’ll be. But she’s training really, really well here.”
Derby Eve is by Tiznow.
Harty said he plans to run Modern, a 3-yearold Tiznow colt, in an upcoming entry-level allowance race around two turns. Modern has never raced on dirt.
Modern broke his maiden in his 3-year-old debut Jan. 8 at Turf Paradise in Arizona.
Modern is owned by the Darley Stable of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, prime minister and vice president of the United Arab Emirates.
Modern ran third behind unbeaten Grade I winner Rolling Fog in his career debut and was eighth behind unbeaten Flashback, one of the country’s most highly regarded 3-year-olds, before breaking his maiden.
Harty said he plans to ship a couple more West Coast-based horses to Hot Springs before the meeting ends April 13.
Brian Ange oversees Harty’s Oaklawn division.
Back to work
Brown Almighty breezed 7 furlongs in 1:27.20 under Robby Albarado on Friday morning, the colt’s first work since finishing fifth in the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes on Jan. 21.
Following the work, co-owner Richard Robertson of Camden said Brown Almighty would make his next start in the $300,000 Grade III Southwest Stakes on Feb. 18.
“Robby said he did everything he asked him to do this morning,” Robertson said.
Robertson said Brown Almighty “scoped clean” after the work, an indication the son of champion Big Brown has recovered from what trainer Tim Ice termed a severe lung infection coming out of the Smarty Jones.
Working after the break to renovate the racing surface, Brown Almighty recorded splits of :24.80 for his opening quarter, :50 for a half-mile and 1:14.60 for 6 furlongs.
Brown Almighty galloped out a mile in 1:41.60.
Brown Almighty was also under consideration for the $400,000 Grade II Risen Star Stakes on Feb. 23 at Fair Grounds in New Orleans.
“We do not want to change climates,” Robertson said.
The Smarty Jones was the first start on dirt for Brown Almighty, a stakes winner of $114,000 at 2.
Midwest muscle
Chicago-based Midwest Thoroughbreds (Richard and Karen Papiese) recorded its first double of the meeting Friday when favored Knight in Armour ($4.20) won the second race and favored Pajama Bottom ($5) took the fifth.
Midwest, Oaklawn’s leading owner the last two years, set a single-season national record with 542 victories in 2012.
Dan Lasater, a perennial leading owner at Oaklawn, set the previous record (494) in 1974.
Jamie Ness has about 15 horses for Midwest this year at Oaklawn.
Another Midwest trainer, Roger Brueggemann, is scheduled to ship about 10 horses to Oaklawn later this month.
Knight in Armour became the first two-time winner of the meeting.
At a glance DAY 12
ATTENDANCE 4,037 ON-TRACK HANDLE $417,398.30 OFF-TRACK HANDLE $2,213,649.58 TOTAL HANDLE $2,631,047.88 CLASSIX CARRYOVER $13,242.15 FRIDAY’S STARS Jockey Alex Birzer, trainer Jamie Ness and owner Midwest Thoroughbreds teamed for two victories.
Big Lute, a 3-year-old Midnight Lute colt, was an impressive debut winner for trainer Steve Hobby of Hot Springs and owners Alex and JoAnn Lieblong of Conway.
TODAY’S TIMES First post for the nine races is 1 p.m. Gates open at 11 a.m.
TODAY’S TELEVISION HRTV (full card), Oaklawn Today replays (8 p.m., Resort Cable Channel 5; 11 p.m., KARZ, Channel 42, Little Rock, 11 p.m.) TODAY’S RADIO Oaklawn Morning Line (8:45 a.m., KVRE-FM, 92.9, Hot Springs Village) PRICES Admission ($2); parking in Oaklawn lots ($2); reserved seats ($4.50 weekends); programs ($2). Daily Racing Form on track ($5, $6.50); tip sheets ($2-$5)
WAGERING MENU
Win, place, show (all races)
Exacta (all races)
Trifecta (all races)
Superfecta (races 4, 6 and 9)
Daily double (races 1-2, 8-9)
CLASSIX (races 3-8)
Pick-3 (begins with races 4, 5 and 7)
Pick-4 (begins with race 6 on nine race cards)
TODAY’S SIMULCASTING SCHEDULE
Tampa Bay Downs (11:20 a.m.), Aqueduct (11:30 a.m.), Gulfstream Park (11:45 a.m.), Turfway Park (12:10 p.m.), Fair Grounds (1 p.m.), Santa Anita (2:30 p.m.), Golden Gate Fields (2:45 p.m.), Penn National (5 p.m.), Delta Downs (5:45 p.m.), Palm Beach (6 p.m.), Charles Town (6:15 p.m.), Daytona Beach (6:25 p.m.), Sam Houston (6:30 p.m.), Wheeling (6:30 p.m.), Southland (6:30 p.m.).
Sports, Pages 27 on 02/02/2013