Oaklawn Park report

Whiting: No races for Cyber

HOT SPRINGS - Cyber Secret, the top older two-turn handicap horse last year at Oaklawn Park, won’t run again at the meeting because of a lingering physical problem, trainer Lynn Whiting said Sunday morning.

Whiting said Cyber Secret, who is owned by Oaklawn President Charles Cella, hasn’t been to the track in three weeks because of a shoe boil on the horse’s elbow.

The elbow is a joint on the front leg at the point where the belly of the horse meets the leg.

“I think we’ve blown everything here,” Whiting said. “It’s not going to happen here.”

Whiting said the shoe boil was discovered after Cyber Secret ran second to stablemate Drogue in the $100,000 Fifth Season Stakes on Jan. 11, adding the injury was treated with antibiotics.

A shoe boil normally occurs when a horse hits its elbow with a hoof or shoe when lying down in its stall.

Cyber Secret won all four of his starts last year at Oaklawn, including the $150,000 Grade III Razorback Handicap and the $500,000 Grade II Oaklawn Handicap.

Cyber Secret, in his final start last year, set a track record for 1 1-16 miles at Turfway Park in Kentucky (1:42.26) in the $50,000 Prairie Bayou Stakes on Dec. 21.

Whiting had planned to run Cyber Secret in all four legs of Oaklawn’s series of two-turn stakes races for older handicap horses - Fifth Season, $100,000 Essex Handicap on Feb. 15, $200,000 Grade III Razorback Handicap on March 15 and the $600,000 Grade II Oaklawn Handicap on April 12.

“We were coming in here loaded,” Whiting said.

“I thought we had every shot to sweep the series.

Sometimes things don’t work out as planned.”

Whiting said it’s uncertain when Cyber Secret will run again.

Cyber Secret, a 5-yearold son of Broken Vow, has won 7 of 18 career starts and earned $614,593.

Cella privately purchased Cyber Secret after his second lifetime start in November 2011.

Still waiting

Trainer Ron Moquett of Hot Springs said he’s in no hurry to run Gentlemen’s Bet, who hasn’t started since finishing third in the $1.5 million Grade I Breeders’ Cup Sprint on Nov. 2 at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

Gentlemen’s Bet was targeting the $100,000 King Cotton Stakes onFeb. 8 for his 2014 debut, but Moquett and owner Harry Rosenblum of Little Rock decided to pass the race because of “iffy” track conditions.

The race was postponed a week after Oaklawn canceled racing (winter weather).

“He’s the kind of horse that you’ve got to take care of, and he tells you what’s right,” Moquett said. “I told Harry if your end goal is the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, which is what we think it is, then we have to work backwards from that. That means that the track has to be perfect and the horse has to be perfect.”

Moquett said Gentlemen’s Bet is a candidate for the $100,000 Hot Springs Stakes on March 8, the final major local prep for the $300,000 Grade III Count Fleet Sprint Handicap on April 10.

Gentlemen’s Bet ran third in last year’s Count Fleet.

Moquett said he will make a decision on the Hot Springs after giving Gentlemen’s Bet an “easywork.”

“He’s fit,” Moquett said.

Claim wars

Eight claims Sunday totaled $105,000, pushing season totals to 187 and $2,745,000, respectively.

Sunday was the 25th day of racing.

Three horses were claimed out of Sunday’s third race, including winner Grand Sensation, who was making his first start for owner/trainer Steve Asmussen.

Asmussen had claimed the 9-year-old gelding for $12,500 on Jan. 11. Grand Sensation had made his first 50 career starts for owners Alex and JoAnn Lieblong of Conway, bankrolling almost $400,000.

The Lieblongs tried to claim the gelding back for $7,500 on Sunday, but lost a three-way shake, or blind draw, to trainer John E. Cox.

Owner Gary Elmore of Lonoke (Jackrabbit Thoroughbreds LLC) also lost runner-up Pocket Medal out of the third race for $7,500. Pocket Medal was claimed by trainer Ron Moquett of Hot Springs.

Trainer Doug Anderson claimed Send an Angel out of her victory in the sixth race for $40,000.

In company

Dunkin Bend, a candidate for the $600,000 Grade II Rebel Stakes on March 15, worked 5 furlongs in 1:00.20 on Sunday morning.

Dunkin Bend worked in company with Carve, who finished third in last year’s $1 million Grade I Arkansas Derby.

Both horses, owned by Mike Langford of Jonesboro and trained by Brad Cox, galloped out 6 furlongs in 1:14.

Cox said he’s leaning toward an allowance race, or the $100,000 Gazebo Stakes on March 22, for Dunkin Bend’s local debut, although the Rebel is a possibility.

Cox said Carve could make his 4-year-old debut in a March 9 allowance race.

Cox is pointing Sheltowee’s Boy, a Feb.

17 entry-level allowance winner, for the Rebel.

Final furlong

There were nine winning CLASSIX tickets sold Sunday, each worth $3,307.20. Two 6 of 6 tickets were sold at Oaklawn. … On Fire Baby, who is scheduled to make her 5-year-old debut in the $200,000 Grade II Azeri Stakes on March 15, worked 6 furlongs in 1:16.40 on Sunday morning. … Trainer Mike Johnson of Star City said he plans to work Drogue 5 furlongs Saturday morning in preparation for the $200,000 Grade III Razorback Handicap on March 15. Owned by Oaklawn President Charles Cella, Drogue won the $100,000 Fifth Season Stakes on Jan. 11.

AT THE POST DAY 25 ATTENDANCE (4,939) ON-TRACK HANDLE ($413,873.20) OFF-TRACK HANDLE ($2,113,811.67) TOTAL HANDLE ($2,527,684.87) CLASSIX CARRYOVER None.

SUNDAY’S STARS Jockey Jareth Loveberry and trainer J.R. Caldwell teamed for two victories.

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

TELEVISION HRTV, TVG. 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 $2.50 weekdays, $4.50 weekends programs $2.

Daily Racing Form $5, $6.50, $7.50. Tip sheets $2-$5.

THURSDAY’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) THURSDAY’S SIMULCASTING SCHEDULE Tampa Bay Downs (11:25 a.m.), Laurel (11:35 a.m.), Gulfstream Park (11:40 a.m.), Fair Grounds (1 p.m.), Golden Gate Fields (2:45 p.m.), Santa Anita (3 p.m.), Penn National (5 p.m.), Delta Downs (5:45 p.m.), Charles Town (6 p.m.).