HOT SPRINGS — The parade of workers for the $300,000 Grade III Southwest Stakes on Feb. 18 continued Saturday morning at Oaklawn Park when Texas Bling breezed 5 furlongs in 1:00.80 under a chilly Cliff Berry.
The time equaled the second-fastest of 74 works recorded at the distance and was called “excellent” by trainer Danele Durham.
“He almost looked like he wasn’t breaking a gallop,” Durham said. “He goes so effortlessly.”
Texas Bling was second in his 3-year-old debut, beaten a neck by Will Take Charge in the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes on Jan. 21.
Will Take Charge worked a half-mile in :48.80 on Thursday, while Brown Almighty, the fifth-place finisher in the Smarty Jones, prepped for the Southwest by working 7 furlongs in 1:27.20 on Friday.
Texas Bling, who worked just after the break to renovate the surface, galloped out 6 furlongs in 1:13.80, according to lead clocker Jim Hamilton.
“He’s just thriving on this racetrack,” Durham said of Texas Bling. “His chest has muscled up since we got here. The weather’s beautiful. He’s just training really well.”
Durham said Texas Bling is scheduled to work again Saturday, probably going 5 furlongs.
Racing fatality
Jaimes Gold, a 5-year-old horse, making his fourth lifetime start, collapsed and died on the track of an apparent heart attack shortly after finishing ninth in Saturday’s third race, state steward Stan Bowker said.
Jockey Bryan McNeil wasn’t injured in the incident, which occurred near the 7-furlong marker as horses were pulling up following the 6-furlong sprint for older $15,000 maiden claiming horses.
Trained by J.R. Caldwell, Jaimes Gold was racing for the first time since finishing fifth in a $20,000 maiden-claiming event May 19 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.
Training fatality
L B Twenty suffered a fatal heart attack during training hours Saturday, according to Stanley Roberts of Forrest City, who trained the 4-year-old Louisiana bred gelding.
L B Twenty had just completed a 5-furlong workout in 1:02.40 when he collapsed on the first turn.
The mishap occurred at 7:56 a.m. and delayed training for 11 minutes.
L B Twenty won 1 of 11 lifetime starts and earned $16,156.
The son of Wildcat Shoes hadn’t started since finishing seventh for a $12,500 claiming tag Sept.
21 at Louisiana Downs near Shreveport.
He had five published workouts this season at Oaklawn.
Record payoff
Saturday’s $14,657 Pick-4 payoff was a record since Oaklawn reduced the minimum bet from $1 to50 cents for the 2012 live meeting, according to Bobby Geiger, Oaklawn’s director of gaming and wagering.
Geiger said one of the two winning Pick-4 tickets was sold at Oaklawn.
The Pick-4 requires bettors to select the winners of the last four races.
Saturday’s Pick-4 winners were: One More Week ($82.20) in the sixth, Tiz Ready ($51.20) in the seventh, Donoharm ($17.40) in the eighth and Ardenhall ($7.80) in the ninth.
The record for a $1 base Pick-4 wager at Oaklawn is $54,431, which occurred April 16, 2011, Geiger said.
On the work tab
Atigun, owned by John Ed Anthony of Hot Springs, breezed a half-mile Saturday morning in :48.20, the third fastest of 65 works recorded at the distance.
Atigun is scheduled to make his 4-year-old debut in the $150,000 Grade III Razorback Handicap on March 9.
American Sugar and Rose to Gold - scheduled starters for next Saturday’s $75,000 Martha Washington Stakes for 3-year-old fillies - worked 3 furlongs and a half-mile in :37.80 and :48, respectively.
Don’t Tell Sophia worked 5 furlongs in 1:00.80 for trainer Phil Sims, who is pointing her for the $100,000 Bayakoa Stakes for older fillies and mares Feb. 16.
Najjaar, nearing his 4-year-old debut, was credited with 5 furlongs in 1:02.
Final furlong
Jenny’s Touch became the first disqualification of the meeting in Saturday’s third race after lugging in approaching the wire and bothering Mystic Thunder. Jenny’s Touch was moved from second to fourth. Stage Candy was elevated from third to second, and Mystic Thunder, the original fourth-place finisher, was placed third. ... Trainer Mac Robertson said his go-to rider in recent days, Seth Martinez, will be leaving soon for Hawthorne in suburban Chicago.
Hawthorne opens Feb.
- ... Lady Diva Ga Ga ($4.60) rolled to another easy victory in Saturday’s fourth race, a secondlevel allowance/optional claiming sprint, for older fillies and mares. She is trained by Phil Sims.
DERBY PREPS
ROBERT LEWIS STAKES Flashback makes mark
ARCADIA, Calif. - Flashback, ridden by Julien Leparoux, won the $196,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes by 6 1/4 lengths at Santa Anita on Saturday, leading a 1-2 finish for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert’s horses. Den’s Legacy, the other Baffert runner, finished second. Flashback ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.95 and paid $3 and $2.40. He’s Had Enough, second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile last fall, was a half-length back in third. Little Jerry finished fourth.
WITHERS STAKES
Revolutionary rallies
NEW YORK - Revolutionary, last at the top of the stretch, beat Escapefromreality by a neck on Saturday in the $200,000 Withers Stakes at Aqueduct. Revolutionary, ridden by Javier Castellano, worked through traffic for his second victory in five starts. The time was 1:44.32 for the 1 1/16 miles over the fast track.
SAM F. DAVIS
Falling Sky holds on
Falling Sky, ridden by Jose Espinoza, led all the way en route to a neck victory over Dynamic Sky in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. My Name Is Michael, the 8-5 choice in a field of nine, rallied belatedly to finish third, another 3 lengths further back. Falling Sky won for the third time in four starts. He completed the distance in 1:44.79 and paid $17.80.
At a glance DAY 13 ATTENDANCE 11,884 ON-TRACK HANDLE $917,508.80 OFF-TRACK HANDLE $2,010,045.51 TOTAL HANDLE $2,927,554.31 CLASSIX CARRYOVER $42,338 SATURDAY’S STARS Malcolm Franklin rode three winners, including two for trainer Tim Martin.
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 ($2.50 weekdays, $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 and 6 and last race)
Daily double (first two races, last two races)
CLASSIX (races 3-8)
Pick-3 (begins with races 4, 5and 7 on nine-race cards)
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.), Santa Anita (1 p.m.), Golden Gate Fields (1:15 p.m.)
Sports, Pages 31 on 02/03/2013