HOT SPRINGS — 5,000th eluding Borel

Jockey Calvin Borel’s day is coming, but it just wasn’t on this dreary, cold day at Oaklawn Park.

Borel failed in his sixth attempt to notch his 5,000th career victory when favored Bold Choice finished fifth in Thursday’s eighth race.

Trained by Ron Moquett of Hot Springs, Bold Choice, the 2-1 betting choice, was battling for the lead turning for home but tired to finish 91/2 lengths behind Ride the Lightning, who rallied from far back in the first-level allowance for older horses at 11/16 miles.

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

Borel, who is returning from a broken wrist, is named on one horse today, Homeboykris, in the second race.

Homeboykris was a Grade I winner as a 2-year-old for embattled trainer Rick Dutrow and ran 16th in the 2010 Kentucky Derby, but has fallen into the starter allowance ranks.

The gelding, 10-1 on the morning line, is owned by Michael Hui of Little Rock and trained by Moquett.

Borel is named on two horses Saturday - Francois in the first race and Truman’s Commander in the fourth race.

Truman’s Commander is owned by Harry Rosenblum of Little Rock and trained by Moquett.

Truman’s Commander, who finished 13th in the 2011 Arkansas Derby, hasn’t started since Sept. 22 because of an illness, Rosenblum said.

Borel is scheduled to ride three horses Sunday, including Maiden Warrior for his older brother, trainer Cecil Borel.

Hobby horses

Trainer Steve Hobby of Hot Springs recorded his 999th career victory in Thursday’s second race when Marathon Lady, owned by Alex and JoAnn Lieblong of Conway, splashed to a front-running 3 1/2-length maiden victory.

Hobby almost won No.

1,000 in the eighth race, but Night Seeker, a perennial bridesmaid, led in deep stretch before being overhauled on the outside by Ride the Lightning.

It was the eighth runner up finish in 17 lifetime starts for Night Seeker, who is co-owned by Oklahoma-based Cresran LLC (Carol Ricks), Hobby’s oldest client.

Hobby managed Cresran’s farm in 1984, and his first career training victory was for the Ricks family on Feb. 20, 1985, at Oaklawn.

Hobby has one horse entered today and Saturday.

Slow day

There were only two timed workouts Thursday after more than an inch of rain turned the racing surface sloppy.

Training began as scheduled at 6:55 a.m. despite near freezing temperatures, but ended at 10 a.m., 30 minutes earlier than normal, because of the light volume.

Human traffic wasn’t much better Thursday.

Attendance (1,665) and on-track mutuel handle ($184,813.50) were maybe the lowest figures since Oaklawn rose to national prominence in the early 1970s.

Super 99 + 2

Super Ninety Nine received a career-high 101 Beyer Speed Figure for his 11 1/4-length victory in Monday’s $300,000 Grade III Southwest Stakes for 3-year-olds.

It’s the highest Beyer of the Oaklawn meeting, topping the 100 Don’t Tell Sophia earned for her 6 1/2-length victory in Saturday’s $100,000 Bayakoa Stakes for older fillies and mares.

Beyer Speed Figures are a numerical representation of a horse’s performance, based on the final time and the inherent speed over the track on which the race was run.

The higher the number, the better the performance.

Super Ninety Nine was flown back to California on Tuesday to rejoin trainer Bob Baffert.

Baffert said immediately after the Southwest that if Super Ninety Nine returned to Oaklawn, it would be for the $1 million Grade I Arkansas Derby on April 13.

Oaklawn’s next major Kentucky Derby prep race is the $600,000 Grade II Rebel Stakes on March 16, a race Baffert has won a record three consecutive times.

Baffert had 17 early bird nominees to the Southwest, Rebel and Arkansas Derby, so he has plenty of candidates to choose from.

Immediately following the Southwest, Baffert mentioned Tiz the Truth, Shakin It Up and Governor Charlie as potential Rebel starters.

Another horse under consideration is Den’s Legacy, owned by Little Rock based Westrock Stables LLC (Joe and Scott Ford).

“It depends on how they’re training,” Baffert said. “I like to wait. I’m a last-minute kind of guy, so I really hate to plan that far ahead. With these young horses, you really don’t know what’s going on.”

Tiz the Truth (by Tiznow) broke his maiden by 7 3/4 lengths Feb. 2 at Santa Anita near Los Angeles.

Shakin It Up (Midnight Lute) won Sunday’s $150,000 Grade II San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita.

Govenor Charlie (Midnight Lute) broke his maiden Sunday at Santa Anita.

Den’s Legacy (Medaglia d’Oro) is a Grade III stakes winner of $321,350.

Super Ninety Nine represented Baffert’s eighth victory since 2010 in one of Oaklawn’s three graded Kentucky Derby prep races.

Of his first seven winners, only Secret Circle competed in all three races.

Secret Circle won a division of the Southwest, won the Rebel and ran second in the Arkansas Derby last year.

Peters dies

Well-known Iowa owner Bill Peters (Thunderhead Farms) died Sunday, according to trainer Don Von Hemel of Hot Springs.

Peters, 86, had been in declining health the past few years, Von Hemel said.

“He was a great friend,” Von Hemel said.

Von Hemel trained for Peters for approximately 25 years, a collaboration highlighted by Mariah’s Storm, a multiple graded stakes winner of $724,895.

Other top runners included Sand Ridge, a multiple stakes winner of $708,149, and Battle Mountain, a multiple stakes winner of $530,722.

Von Hemel said Peters had two horses in training at the time of his death, including one with the trainer’s son, Kelly Von Hemel, at Oaklawn. Peters’ widow, Nancy, co-owned 1986 Arkansas Derby winner Rampage.

Rulings

Stewards have suspended jockey Ramon Vazquez three racing days (Saturday, Sunday and Feb. 28) for a riding incident in Sunday’s ninth race.

Stewards cited Vazquez for allowing his mount, Comic Sister, to drift in from the outside post shortly after the start, without being clear, and causing four horses to the inside to steady.

Comic Sister was disqualified from second and placed fourth for the incident.

Stewards fined trainer J.R. Caldwell $100 for failing to notify the identifier that Sunday Funday was racing as a gelding for the first time in last Friday’s fourth race.

Final furlong

Hesa Razorback survived a jockey’s objection to win Thursday’s ninth race by a neck for trainer Joe Martin of Royal. Hesa Razorback lugged in to bother Jokin N Smokin approaching the sixteenth pole. Jokin N Smokin’s rider, Robby Albarado, lost his left iron, then removed his right iron approaching the wire. Jokin N Smokin finished fifth, and Albarado claimed foul against Ramon Vazquez, who rode Hesa Razorback in his career debut. Stewards allowed the result to stand.

... Retired two-time Oaklawn riding champion Tim Doocy was in the winner’s photo following Esotico’s 1 5/2-length romp in Thursday’s fourth race. ... Carol’s Jimmy scratched out of a race for the third consecutive racing day Thursday. In all three instances, the 3-year-old colt was part of a Kenny Smith trained entry. State steward John Ferrara said stewards and the racing department normally don’t frown on the scratches because the other half of the entry runs. Carol’s Jimmy, not part of an entry, is entered in Saturday’s seventh race. ... Triple Crown nominee Title Contender, who ran second in an entry level allowance race Sunday for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, left Oaklawn on Thursday for Fair Grounds in New Orleans, where he will be trained by Wayne Catalano.

Day 24 at a glance

ATTENDANCE 1,665 ON-TRACK HANDLE $184,813.50 OFF-TRACK HANDLE $1,306,477.85 TOTAL HANDLE $1,491,291.35 CLASSIX CARRYOVER $1,525.48 THURSDAY’S STARS Robby Albarado and Luis Quinonez each rode two winners.

TODAY’S TIMES First post for the nine races is 1:30 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); programs ($2). Daily Racing Form on track ($5, $6.50); tip sheets ($2-$5)

TODAY’S SIMULCASTING SCHEDULE Tampa Bay Downs (11:25 a.m.), Aqueduct (11:30 a.m.), Gulfstream Park (11:45 a.m.), Hawthorne (2:30 p.m.), Golden Gate Fields (2:45 p.m.), Santa Anita (3 p.m.), Turfway Park (4:30 p.m.), Fair Grounds (5 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.), Southland (6:30 p.m.), Wheeling (6:30 p.m.), Sam Houston (7 p.m.).

Sports, Pages 22 on 02/22/2013