Oaklawn Park report

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Resetting crown on to-do list

HOT SPRINGS - Oaklawn Park General Manager Eric Jackson said surface maintenance, weather permitting, is scheduled around training today and Wednesday.

Jackson said the project will involve resetting the crown of the racing surface from what he called “a lot of cushion shift,” adding the surface “needs to be graded deeply and rolled and fluffed.”

But Jackson said Oaklawn is “pleasantly surprised” how well the surface has held up this year after several extended battles with freezing temperatures and winter precipitation.

Oaklawn lost its final six races Feb. 2 and four subsequent days (Feb. 6-9) to winter weather.

“This is what we should be doing every week, if the weather had allowed us to,” Jackson said. “Now, we just have to catch up.”

Jackson said he believes a “good grading” of the surface will take approximately eight hours.

Oaklawn is normally open for training from 7 a.m.-10:30 a.m.

Baby talk

Multiple graded stakes winner On Fire Baby, in her first local move for her 5-year-old debut, worked 5 furlongs in 1:02.20 on Monday morning under regular rider Joe Johnson.

Lead clocker Jim Hamilton caught On Fire Baby in splits of :12.40, :25.40 and :38.20 for 3 furlongs.

On Fire Baby galloped out 6 furlongs in 1:15 and 7 furlongs in 1:30.

“Today was just to see how fit she was,” trainer Gary “Red Dog” Hartlage said. “She got tired galloping out, which was good.”

Hartlage said On Fire Baby, without any setbacks, is on track to run in the $200,000 Grade II Azeri Stakes on March 15. On Fire Baby’s major spring objective in the $600,000 Grade I Apple Blossom Handicap on April 11, a race she won last year.

On Fire Baby hasn’t started since finishing last of 11 in the $500,000 Grade I Spinster Stakes on Oct. 6 at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky.

Hartlage said On Fire Baby should work again Sunday or Monday.

Street talk

Lightly raced Street Strategy, a son of 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense, is pointing for the $600,000 Grade II Rebel Stakes on March 15, trainer Randy Morse said.

Owned by Dave Clark of Little Rock, Street Strategy broke his maiden by 6 1-2 lengths Jan. 30 under Calvin Borel. It was Street Strategy’s first start around two turns.

Street Strategy was beaten a nose in his Jan. 11 career debut.

“I’d rather run him in an allowance race, but the timing is not right,” Morse said. “You can’t squeeze in a race that close.”

Street Strategy worked a half-mile in :50 on Monday morning under Borel. Street Strategy, well off the rail, covered his final quartermile in :23.20 and galloped out 5 furlongs in 1:02.20.

Clark purchased Street Strategy for $425,000 at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s April 2-year-old in training sale.

Final furlong

Kristie Brockette of Little Rock was the $10,000 grand prize winner in Monday’s $55,000 progressive cash giveaway promotion. … There were 10 claims Monday totaling $195,000. In 21 days of racing, there have been 153 claims for $2,189,500. … Oaklawn recorded season highs for attendance (25,622) and on-track mutuel handle ($1,525,040.30) on Monday. … Jockeys Leandro Goncalves (injury) and Shaun Bridgmohan (missed flight) resulted in rider changes for Monday’s $300,000 Grade III Southwest Stakes, state steward Stan Bowker said. Goncalves, who was scheduled to ride Kendall’s Boy, was replaced by Terry Thompson. Bridgmohan, who was scheduled to ride Coastline, was replaced by Eurico Rosa Da Silva.

Goncalves and Bridgmohan are based at Fair Grounds in New Orleans. … Jockeys Norberto Arroyo Jr., Alex Canchari and Roberto Morales are all appealing three-day riding suspensions that were scheduled to begin later this week, Bowker said.

… The $30,000 claim forKenni Rae was voided after the 6-5 favorite was vanned off with an injury to his left front leg near the finish of Monday’s first race. Claims are automatically voided under Arkansas rules if the horse is vanned off, Bowker said, although the trainer does have the option to keep it. There was a shake, or blind draw, to claim Kenni Rae, who was seeking his third consecutive victory for trainer Mac Robertson. … Trainer Dan Peitz, a Little Rock native, saddled his first winner of the meetingin Monday’s sixth race as Springsteen Road broke her maiden as the 3-5 favorite.

Springsteen Road, a 3-yearold Street Boss filly owned by Robert and Lawana Low of Springfield, Mo., is one of several promising young horses in the trainer’s barn. … The Big Beast, an unstarted 3-year-old halfbrother to Big Lute, worked a half-mile in :48 on Monday morning. The Big Beast, by Yes It’s True, worked in company with stablemate I’mclassyandsassy, a 4-year-old stakes-placed filly.

Both horses, who shared the bullet, are owned by Alex and JoAnn Lieblong of Conway and trained by Steve Hobby of Hot Springs. … Oaklawn General Manager Eric Jackson returned to work Monday after missing Sunday because of a bad cold. “I don’t think I’ve missed three days in 30 years,” said Jackson, Oaklawn’s general manager since 1987. … Oaklawn debuted a ground-level camera angle Monday for horses loading into the gate for mile races.

Sports, Pages 21 on 02/18/2014