Oaklawn Park report

— 3-year-olds gearing up for Smarty

Oaklawn Park’s first major race for 3-year-olds is beginning to take shape, with at least four horses on the grounds pointing for the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes on Jan. 21.

Texas Bling, among the early probables, breezed a half-mile in :52.20 Saturday morning, the colt’s first workout since winning the $300,000 Springboard Mile Stakes at odds of 128-1 on Dec. 9 at Remington Park in Oklahoma City.

Texas Bling is trained by Danele Durham, who is wintering at Oaklawn for the first time.

Also scheduled to start in the 1-mile Smarty Jones are Brown Almighty, Will Take Charge and Officer Alex.

Brown Almighty, co-owned by Tri-Star Racing LLC (Richard Robertson and Alan Dean of Camden) and Brent Gasaway of Little Rock, will be making his dirt debut in the Smarty Jones.

In his last start, Brown Almighty finished ninth in the $1 million Grade I Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf on Nov. 3 at Santa Anita near Los Angeles.

Will Take Charge, runner-up in the Springboard Mile, is a half brother to 2012 Florida Derby winner Take Charge Indy.

Will Take Charge is owned by Willis Horton of Marshall and trained by Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas.

Officer Alex has won 2 of 3 career starts for trainer Lynn Whiting, including the $100,000 Pennsylvania Nursery Stakes on Dec. 8 at Parx near Philadelphia in his last start.

Nominations for the Smarty Jones close next Saturday.

Kickoff banquet

Oaklawn track announcer Frank Mirahmadi will be the featured speaker at the annual Oaklawn Kickoff Banquet on Wednesday at the Wyndham Riverfront-Little Rock hotel in North Little Rock.

A reception begins at 5:15 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:45 p.m.

There will also be a special Oaklawn racing highlights presentation by Rolly Hoyt, a member of the track’s media relations department.

Table sponsorships and tickets are still available for the banquet, which is sponsored by The Oaklawn Jockey Club.

A table of 10 sponsorship is $500 and individual tickets are $50.

For more information, contact Kelli Wigginton at the North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce (501-372-5959).

Hightail retired

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint winner Hightail has been retired because of a leg injury sustained late last year, Hall of Fame trainer D.

Wayne Lukas said.

Lukas said Hightail fractured a sesamoid bone, an injury that was detected about two weeks ago after a series of X-rays.

“It was one of those deals where he showed up tender a couple of mornings and we just kept wondering what it was,” Lukas said.

Owned by Bluegrass Hall LLC (Brad Kelley), Hightail finished with a 1-1-2 record from 10 lifetime starts and earnings of $359,979.

The son of Mineshaft broke his maiden in the $500,000 Juvenile Sprint on Nov. 2 at Santa Anita. He arrived in Hot Springs on Saturday.

Lukas said he isn’t sure of any immediate stallion plans for Hightail, purchased for $345,000 at the Ocala Breeders’ Sale’s Co.’s March 2-year-olds in training sale.

Lukas said Absinthe Minded, a multiple stakes winner of $607,747, has been retired to begin a breeding career. She was a three-time stakes winner at Oaklawn.

Lukas said he doesn’t know who Absinthe Minded will be bred to this year.

Thinking cotton

Trainer Chris Richard said Apprehender, a two time winner at last year’s Oaklawn meeting, will make his 4-year-old debut in the $60,000 King Cotton Stakes for older sprinters Jan. 26.

Apprehender was a 7 1/2-length debut winner Jan.

26, 2012, at Oaklawn before running second in the $75,000 Bachelor Stakes.

The Posse gelding made his first five career starts for trainer Ingrid Mason before being transferred over the summer to Richard.

Apprehender was beaten a nose in the $200,000 Remington Park Sprint Cup Stakes on Sept. 30 at Remington Park.

Richard trained Oaklawn’s top sprinter last year, Outta Tune, who was 4 for 4 at the meeting, including the $250,000 Grade III Count Fleet Sprint Handicap.

But the 8-year-old gelding is winless in five starts since the Count Fleet.

“Outta Tune has not regained his form since last year,” Richard said. “I don’t know if it’s because he got good for a just short period of time. Sometimes horses will do that - they get good for four or five races and they’ll never regain that form again. There’s no rhyme or reason to it. Or he just has a propensity to this track.”

Richard said he plans to start Outta Tune opening weekend.

5,000-win man

Hot Springs will commemorate jockey Calvin Borel’s 5,000th career victory byissuing free trading cards to fans at Oaklawn on the day he reaches the career milestone.

Borel, Oaklawn’s leading rider in 1995 and 2001, has 4,999 victories entering the 2013 live season that begins Friday.

Only 25 other riders in North American history have reached 5,000 victories, according to Equibase, racing’s official data gathering organization.

Borel will be in Little Rock on Monday to observe printing of the 30,000 cards and meet with the media.

On the grounds

Trainer Dale Romans, among the high-profile newcomers for the 2013 meeting, had 15 horses arrive Thursday, including Grade III winner Georgie’s Angel.

Romans, who was given 20 stalls, has started only five horses at Oaklawn since 1998, according to Daily Racing Form.

Assistant Mary Doser will oversee Romans’ Oaklawn division.

Final furlong

There were 1,284 horses on the grounds Saturday afternoon. ... Mykindacandy, fourth in the $100,000 Grade III Ohio Derby in 2010 before suffering serious tendon problems, has been retired, said Stanley Roberts of Forrest City, who trained the 6-year-old for Phyliss Newcomb of Benton. Stallion plans are pending, Roberts said. ... Bahama Bound worked 6 furlongs in 1:15.80 Saturday morning in preparation for the $75,000 Pippin Stakes on Jan. 19. She will be making her first start for trainer Grant Forster. ... Mundurah, Forster’s retired 9-year-old world record-setting gelding, was scheduled to leave this weekend for owner Kip Colvin’s retirement facility in the Memphis area. ... Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas said Hamazing Destiny, co-owned by Westrock Stables LLC (Joe and Scott Ford of Little Rock), will make his 7-yearold debut in the $60,000 King Cotton Stakes on Jan. 26. ... Lukas said he plans to run two horses, including Eye of the Leopard, in Friday’s $75,000 Fifth Season Stakes for older horses. ... Lukas said Optimizer will make his 4-year-old debut in the $125,000 Grade III Col. E.R.

Bradley on Jan. 19 at Fair Grounds in New Orleans. ... Lady Stonewall, owned by Oaklawn President Charles Cella, is a candidate for next Saturday’s $60,000 Dixie Belle Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, trainer Lynn Whiting said.

Sports, Pages 30 on 01/06/2013

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