Oaklawn report

Arroyo appeals penalties

HOT SPRINGS - The Arkansas Racing Commission is scheduled to hear two appeals by Oaklawn Park co-leading rider Norberto Arroyo Jr.

at its regularly scheduled meeting March 8.

Stewards handed Arroyo another three-day riding suspension for an incident shortly after the start of last Sunday’s ninth race. Arroyo was already appealing a three-day suspension that was scheduled to begin last Friday.

“Usually, you don’t have them that close together,” state steward Stan Bowker said.

Stewards initially cited Arroyo for “careless riding” in the first race Feb. 14 when his mount, Gallant Gent, drifted out in the stretch and bothered three horses.

Arroyo’s mount in last Sunday’s ninth race, Tale of the Stage, drifted in from the outside - without being clear - shortly after the start to cause a “traffic jam,” according to the stewards’ ruling. That suspension was scheduled to begin next Thursday.

Arroyo, riding at Oaklawn for the first time this year, has 21 victories.

Defending Oaklawn riding champion Ricardo Santana Jr. also has 21 victories.

Rulings

The Arkansas Racing Commission voted 3-1 on Saturday morning to uphold a claim made by trainer John Hall earlier this month.

Hall, on behalf of owner Vernon Schmale, claimed Is It True Ma’am out of a Feb.

14 race for $16,000.

Is It True Ma’am came out of a fifth-place finish with a knee fracture, but the commission ruled the 3-year-old filly didn’t meet the requirements for the claim to be voided.

Under amended Arkansas rules this year, stewards automatically void claims if the claimed horse is fatally injured during the race or removed from the track in the horse ambulance.

Claimants can keep the horse if they wish by notifying stewards within 15 minutes after the race is declared official.

Hall told the commission that Schmale asked stewards shortly after the race to void the claim because the filly was lame, but she was walked off the track after initially being housed in the paddock for the change of ownership.

Is It True Ma’am had been owned by Ali and Joel Rush and trained by Allen Milligan.

Association veterinarian Lee Cyphers and state veterinarian Joe Lokanc told the commission that Is It True Ma’am was lame at the test barn.

Key race

Brewing, a 3-year-old Maimonides colt for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, broke his maiden in Saturday’s sixth race, becoming the third next out winner to emerge from a Jan. 11 maiden special weights sprint.

Street Strategy, beaten a nose in his Jan. 11 career debut, broke his maiden by 6 ½ lengths Jan. 30. Discipline,a troubled fifth Jan. 11, broke his maiden by 10½ lengths Jan. 31.

Brewing crossed the wire fourth in the Jan. 11 race, but was disqualified and placed sixth for interference in the stretch.

Brewing was a sharp front-running 4 ½ -length winner Saturday under Norberto Arroyo Jr., covering 6 furlongs over a fast track in 1:10.62.

Paganol, a career debut winner Jan. 11, finished 10th in Monday’s $300,000 Grade III Southwest Stakes, his second lifetime start.

Flat Irish, who finished ninth as the betting favorite in the Jan. 11 race, worked a half-mile in :49.80 on Saturday morning.

Flat Irish was making his career debut Jan. 11 for trainer Bret Calhoun.

Oh, Canada

Unbeaten Aragorn Ami worked 5 furlongs in 1:01 on Saturday morning as she prepares for the $150,000 Grade III Honeybee Stakes for 3-year-old fillies March 8.

Clockers caught Aragorn Ami galloping out 6 furlongs in 1:13.40 and 7 furlongs in 1:27.60.

In her last start, Aragorn Ami won the $100,000 Martha Washington Stakes on Feb. 1.

Aragorn Ami and Ami’s Holiday, who is pointing for the $600,000 Grade II Rebel Stakes on March 15, are among 10 horses at Oaklawn for Canadian-based trainer Josie Carroll.

Carroll is wintering at Oaklawn for the first time this year. She also has horses at Fair Grounds in New Orleans.

“The weather has been a little rough for training, but we’re in a great barn where we can actually deal with it a little bit,” Carroll said.

“They’ve treated us very, very well. We’ve just got to get some horses over there running. It’s frustrating.”

Carroll has had only two starters at the meeting, but said she should be more active during the second half of the meeting.

“I have a lot of horses for the first weekend in March,” Carroll said.

Final furlong

McLard gave trainer Tim Glyshaw his first victory of the meeting in Saturday’s third race.

McLard is owned by Tri-Star Racing LLC (Richard Robertson and Alan Dean of Camden). … Trainer Brad Cox, on behalf of owner Staton Flurry of Hot Springs, won a twoway shake, or blind draw, to claim Candiebelle out of Saturday’s fourth race for $12,500. It was the third horse trainer Dale Romans has lost at the meeting. Romans is 0 for 9 at the meeting. … Texas-based trainer Kevin Peek, who was 3 for 4 at the 2013 Oaklawn meeting, struck with his first starter Saturday when Lasting Bubbles won the seventh race. … Street Strategy, a candidate for the $600,000 Grade II Rebel Stakes on March 15, is entered in a first-level allowance race Friday for owner Dave Clark of Little Rock and trainer Randy Morse.

Calvin Borel is named to ride.

At the post

DAY 24 ATTENDANCE 14,594 ON-TRACK HANDLE $1,007,886.50 OFF-TRACK HANDLE $2,201,957.45 TOTAL HANDLE $3,209,843.95 CLASSIX CARRYOVER $16,322.20 SATURDAY’S STARS Ricardo Santana Jr.

rode three winners, all for trainer Steve Asmussen. Santana ($1,004,497) became the first rider at the meeting to surpass $1 million in purse earnings.

Norberto Arroyo Jr. and Alex Canchari rode two winners each.

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

TELEVISION HRTV (races 7-9), TVG (full card). Oaklawn Replay Show (8 p.m., Resort Cable Channel 5, Hot Springs;

11 p.m., KARZ, Channel 42, Little Rock).

PRICES Admission $2. Parking in Oaklawn lots $2. Reserved seats $4.5. Programs $2. Daily Racing Form $5, $6.50, $7.50. Tip sheets $2-$5.

TODAY’S WAGERING MENU Win-place-show, exacta, trifecta and superfecta wagering offered on all races Daily double (races 1-2, 8-9) CLASSIX (races 3-8) Pick-3 (rolling begins with race 2) Pick-4 (races 2-5 races 6-9)

TODAY’S SIMULCASTING SCHEDULE Aqueduct (11:25 a.m.), Tampa Bay Downs (11:25 a.m.), Gulfstream Park (11:40 a.m.), Calder (11:55 a.m.), Turfway Park (12:10 p.m.), Fair Grounds (1 p.m.), Hawthorne (1:45 p.m.), Santa Anita (2:30 p.m.), Golden Gate Fields (2:45 p.m.)