HOT SPRINGS — Pointing ‘Bling’ to Southwest
Texas Bling returned to the track Friday morning for the first time since his runner-up finish in Monday’s $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes for 3-year-olds at Oaklawn Park.
Trainer Danele Durham said Texas Bling, who races for his breeder, Lewis Hall, came out of the race in good shape and will be pointed for the $300,000 Grade III Southwest Stakes on Feb. 18.
Texas Bling was beaten a neck by Will Take Charge in a fierce stretch battle in the 1-mile Smarty Jones, which begins Oaklawn’s four-race Kentucky Derby prep series.
Texas Bling, at odds of 128-1, had beaten Will Take Charge in the $300,000 Springboard Mile Stakes on Dec. 9 at Remington Park in Oklahoma City.
“I expected him to run well, and I think he proved the other deal wasn’t a fluke,” Durham said Friday morning. “I was real happy with the way he got across this racetrack.”
Durham said a work schedule for Texas Bling leading up to the Southwest isn’t set, adding she will instead let the colt dictate how it unfolds.
“Obviously, I’ve got a chart filled out,” Durham said. “Then he just kind of lets me know as we go.
You’ve got to listen to your horse. You can’t put it all down on paper and not listen to the horse.”
Durham, who has never wintered at Oaklawn before, saddled her first winner in Hot Springs on Friday when J Gray won the second race.
J Gray is named after Texas tailback Johnathan Gray, who was the 2011 Gatorade National Player of the Year as a senior at Aledo, Texas, which is just west of Fort Worth.
Lewis Hall, the owner of Texas Bling and J Gray, is a University of Texas graduate and lives in Aledo.
Welcome back
John McKee, Oaklawn’s leading rider in 2004, rode his first winner of the meeting in Friday’s sixth race aboard A J’s Forest Ring ($66.80), who was making her career debut for owner/ trainer Jesse Mullins.
A J’s Forest Ring represented McKee’s first winner at Oaklawn since April 13, 2007.
McKee, 31, has ridden in the winter the last five years at Turfway Park in Kentucky.
McKee won 71 races in 2004 at Oaklawn and scored his biggest career victory two years later when Lawyer Ron won the $1 million Grade II Arkansas Derby.
Claim wars
There were nine claims totaling $175,000 on Friday - the eighth day of the meeting - pushing the season total to 43 for $719,000.
Trainer Randy Morse claimed two horses, including Okie Tuff, an eye catching 4 3/4-length winner of the fifth race for older sprinters.
Morse won a three-way shake, or blind draw, to claim to claim the 5-year-old gelding.
Trainer Steve Asmussen, on behalf of owner Mike Langford of Jonesboro, won a five-way shake to claim Carve out of the third race for $30,000.
Carve, a 3-year-old First Samurai gelding, drew off to a 4-length victory in his career debut for co-owners/ breeders Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider and trainer Al Stall.
They also lost Shrill through a meet-high $55,000 claim Jan. 17.
Back on track
I’mclassyandsassy, who is scheduled to make her 3-year-old debut next month, posted a 5-furlong bullet (1:00.60) on Friday morning.
The Master Command filly, a full sister to stakes placed Launch Commander, hasn’t started since undergoing surgery to remove a tiny bone chip from a knee after a runner up finish in the $100,000 Sorority Stakes on Sept. 2 at Monmouth Park in New Jersey.
“It was a good work,” trainer Steve Hobby of Hot Springs said.
Hobby said he’s pointing I’mclassyandsassy for a Feb. 9 entry-level allowance sprint.
I’mclassyandsassy won her only other career start, earning a 78 Beyer Speed Figure for a 6 1/4-length victory July 27 at Monmouth.
I’mclassyandsassy is owned by Alex and JoAnn Lieblong of Conway.
Devil and a half
Storm Devil took another step toward his career debut with a half-mile bullet workout (:47.60) on Friday morning for trainer Don Von Hemel of Hot Springs.
Storm Devil is a 3-yearold half brother to multiple stakes winner Now I Know, who was also trained by Von Hemel.
“Everything is good,” Von Hemel said.
Von Hemel said the Storm Surge gelding should make his first start around March 1.
Rulings
Stewards fined trainer Stanley Roberts of Forrest City $100 for being late to the paddock for last Friday’s first race with Gate Zapper.
At a glance DAY 8
ATTENDANCE 3,695 ON-TRACK HANDLE $360,999.80 OFF-TRACK HANDLE $2,012,945.51 TOTAL HANDLE $2,373,945.31 CLASSIX CARRYOVER $1,879.96 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) TODAY’S
SIMULCASTING SCHEDULE Tampa Bay Downs (11:25 a.m.), Aqueduct (11:30 a.m.), Laurel (11:35 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.), Sam Houston (6 p.m.), Wheeling (6:05 p.m.), Charles Town (6:15 p.m.), Daytona Beach (6:25 p.m.), Southland (7:05 p.m.)
Sports, Pages 29 on 01/26/2013