Oaklawn Park report

Probables for Derby up to eight

HOT SPRINGS - Two scheduled starters for the $1 million Grade I Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park had their final workouts for the race Sunday morning.

Bayern, unbeaten and untested in two career starts for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, worked 7 furlongs from the gate in 1:23.80 at Santa Anita near Los Angeles.

Ride On Curlin worked 7 furlongs in 1:26.80 at Oaklawn for trainer Billy Gowan.

Bayern and Ride On Curlin are among at least eight confirmed starters for the Arkansas Derby, Oaklawn media relations director Jennifer Hoyt said Sunday afternoon.

Also scheduled to run in Saturday’s 1 1/8-mile race are Tapiture, Strong Mandate, Conquest Titan, Commissioner, Chitu and Thundergram.

Chitu, who won $800,000 Grade III Sunland Park Derby on March 23 at Sunland Park in New Mexico, is also trained by Baffert.

Conquest Titan and Thundergram are both trained by Mark Casse.

Post positions for the Arkansas Derby will be drawn at 12:30 p.m.

Wednesday near the information booth on the first floor.

Bayern is scheduled to be flown to Arkansas on Wednesday. He will be ridden in the Arkansas Derby by Hall of Famer Gary Stevens.

Bayern has won his two starts at Santa Anita by a combined 18 ¼ lengths.

Bayern won his Jan. 4 career debut by 3 ¼ lengths at 7 furlongs. The fifthplace finisher in that race, stablemate Hoppertunity, won the $600,000 Grade II Rebel Stakes on March 15, Oaklawn’s final major prep for the Arkansas Derby.

Bayern cleared his first allowance condition Feb. 13, drawing off to a 15-length victory in his two-turn debut. Bayern hasn’t started since because of a foot bruise.

Stevens won the Arkansas Derby in 1985 aboard Tank’s Prospect and in 1990 aboard Silver Ending.

Baffert won the 2012 Arkansas Derby with Bodemeister and has dominated Oaklawn’s series of Kentucky Derby prep races the last several years.

Bayern, a son of Offlee Wild, doesn’t actually turn 3 until May 3, the date of this year’s Kentucky Derby.

Tapiture, who figures to vie for favoritism with Bayern, was also foaled May 3, 2011.

Tapiture finished second in the Rebel, and won the $300,000 Grade III Southwest Stakes on Feb. 17.

He will be ridden for the first time by Joel Rosario in the Arkansas Derby.

Ride On Curlin finished third in the Southwest and Rebel.

Do the math

Dee’s Baby broke her maiden for a second time at the meeting in Sunday’s ninth race, a maiden special weights sprint for Arkansasbred fillies, 3-year-olds and upward.

Owned and trained by Stanley Roberts of Forrest City, Dee’s Baby won her Feb. 27 career debut against $16,000 Arkansas-bred maiden claimers.

But stewards stripped Dee’s Baby of the victory, and ordered redistribution of purse money, after the 3-year-old filly tested positive for betamethasone, a prohibited racing substance in Arkansas.

Betamethasone is a corticosteroid that can be used to treat joint inflammation.

Stewards also fined Roberts $1,000.

Dee’s Baby had earned $10,800 for her Feb. 27 victory (the purse was $18,000). Sunday’s purse was a hefty $60,000, meaning Dee’s Baby earned $36,000 for her 2 ½ -length victory.

Final furlong

The track was rated wetfast for Sunday’s first race before being downgraded to sloppy for the final eight races. … Jockey Shane Laviolette escaped serious injury after being unseated shortly after the start of Sunday’s first race. The horse involved, Sheriff Curly, who stumbled seconds after the gates opened, was captured without incident. … Runaway leading owner Danny Caldwell won an 11-way shake, or blind draw, to claim Zenaro out of Sunday’s fourth race for $12,500. Caldwellhas started claiming horses for the upcoming Prairie Meadows meeting in Iowa.

There have been 384 claims totaling $5,763,500 this year at Oaklawn. … Paul Holthus, an eye-catching 9 for 25 in his training comeback at the meeting, saddled Majestic Shoes to win Sunday’s sixth race. … For Greater Glory, a 4-year-old Afleet Alex colt owned by Alex and JoAnn Lieblong of Conway and trained by Steve Hobby of Hot Springs, won Sunday’s seventh race, a first-level allowance/optional claimer at 1 1-16 miles. … Carve, owned by Mike Langford of Jonesboro, worked 5 furlongs in 1:01.60 on Sunday morning for Saturday’s $600,000 Grade II Oaklawn Handicap for older horses. Jesus Castanon has the mount. … Trainer Doug Anderson said Sugar Shock, winner of Saturday’s $400,000 Grade III Fantasy Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, came out of the race well and will be pointed toward the $1 million Grade I Kentucky Oaks on May 2 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

Arkansas Derby probables, points

Probable starters for Saturday’s $1 million Arkansas Derby (100-40-20-10 points at stake) with their place in the Road to the Derby rankings. Eligibility for the May 3 Kentucky Derby will be determined by points if more than 20 horses are entered.

PL, HORSE PTS

10, Chitu .............................................54

13, Tapiture ........................................42

23, Ride On Curlin .............................15

27, Strong Mandate ...........................11

33, Commissioner .............................10

36, Conquest Titan ...............................9

NR, Bayern ...........................................0 NR,

Thundergram ................................0

At the post DAY 49 ATTENDANCE 6,276 ON-TRACK HANDLE $422,378.10 OFF-TRACK HANDLE $1,825,369.37 TOTAL HANDLE $2,247,747.47 CLASSIX CARRYOVER $5,663.15 SUNDAY’S STARS Alex Birzer rode three winners. Jon Court rode two winners. Trainers Steve Asmussen and Stanley Roberts of Forrest City each won two races. Asmussen has had two winners for three consecutive days to regain the top spot in the standings, 27-25 over Federico Villafranco, with four days remaining in the meeting. Asmussen is seeking his third consecutive Oaklawn training title, and sixth since 2007.

WEDNESDAY’S TIMES First post for the nine races is 1:30 p.m. Gates open at 11 a.m.

TELEVISION HRTV (full card), TVG (full card). Oaklawn Replay Show (8 p.m., Resort Cable Channel 5, Hot Springs; 11 p.m., KARZ, Channel 42, Little Rock). WEDNESDAY’S “DAWN AT OAKLAWN” (7:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m., south apron). SPECIAL GUEST Trainer Ron Moquett of Hot Springs. Free admission. Barn tours at 7:30 a.m., 8 a.m., 9 a.m. and 9:30 a.m.

Sports, Pages 21 on 04/07/2014

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