Son of Curlin debuts
HOT SPRINGS - Ride On Curlin is scheduled to take his first step on the road to the Kentucky Derby when he makes his scheduled 3-year-old debut in today’s sixth race at Oaklawn Park, an entry-level allowance sprint.
A son of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin, Ride On Curlin set a track record for 5 ½ furlongs at Ellis Park in Kentucky (1:03) before finishing third in the $500,000 Grade I Champagne Stakes on Oct.
5 at Belmont Park in New York.
Trainer Bill Gowan opted to begin Ride On Curlin’s 2014 campaign in an allowance sprint, rather than the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes at a mile Jan. 20.
Gowan is wintering in Hot Springs this year because he wants to take Ride On Curlin through Oaklawn’s highly productive series of Triple Crown prep races, which culminates with the $1 million Grade I Arkansas Derby on April 12.
Curlin, for example, won the 2007 Rebel and Arkansas Derby before winning the Preakness.
“Look at this history of this place and all the good 3-year-olds that have come out of here,” Gowan said.
“I think this is probably the best place to be.”
Calvin Borel has the mount on Ride On Curlin, who is scheduled to break from post 10, the extreme outside, in the 6-furlong race.
He’s back
Lasting Impact, runner up in Saturday’s first race, represented the first starter for trainer Paul Holthus since March 9, 1995, at Oaklawn.
Holthus, the son of the late Bob Holthus, Oaklawn’s all-time leading trainer,initially quit training to become the agent for jockey Garrett Gomez.
Paul Holthus later became an executive with H.E. “Tex” Sutton Forwarding Company, the noted equine air transportation carrier, and was helping trainer Randy Morse before beginning to build a stable last fall for a comeback at the 2014 Oaklawn meeting.
Holthus has five horses, including three he co-owns with wife Nancy, a member of Oaklawn’s media relations department.
Lasting Impact races for the couple’s N P H Stable.
New blood
Jerry Hissam of Hot Springs has been the agent for Hall of Fame jockey Calvin Borel for more than 20 years, and normally doesn’t represent a second rider.
That’s not the case at the 2014 Oaklawn meeting.
In addition to Borel, Hissam is booking mounts for newcomer Jesus Castanon, 40, best known for riding Shackleford to victory in the 2011 Preakness.
“The money is bringing him in here,” Hissam said.
“I watched the kid ride the last three or four years at Churchill and been impressed with him.”
Hissam said when he heard late last year that Castanon was thinking about wintering at Oaklawn,they talked and struck a deal.
Hissam said Castanon will ride for Dale Romans, who trained Shackleford, and should benefit from more Kentucky outfits this winter at Oaklawn.
Castanon rode his first winner of the meeting, Wildcat Country, in Saturday’s fourth race for owner/trainer Jack Frost of Marianna.
On break
Marathon Lady, who finished third in last year’s $400,000 Grade III Fantasy Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, should arrive at Oaklawn late this month, owner Alex Lieblong of Conway said.
Lieblong said Marathon Lady is about 45 days into a 60-day freshening at Diamond A Farm near Lexington, Ky.
Leiblong said “there’s a shot” Marathon Lady, trained by Steve Hobby of Hot Springs, will run at the 2014 Oaklawn meeting.
Marathon Lady ran 10 times last year, breaking her maiden at Oaklawn before making six of her next seven starts in graded stakes races.
In her final start last year, Marathon Lady finished last of nine in the $400,000Grade III Comely Stakes on Nov. 30 at Aqueduct in New York.
“She deserved a break,” Lieblong said.
Final furlong
Hall of Fame trainer Jack Van Berg, previously based in Southern California, has about 16 horses stabled in barn 43. Also in barn 43 are horses trained by Van Berg’s former assistant, Billy Gowan. … Trainer Danele Durham said Texas Bling was scratched from Saturday’s $100,000 Fifth Season Stakes at 1 1-16 because of an off track.
Texas Bling is entered in a third-level allowance sprint Thursday. … Brewing was disqualified from fourth and placed sixth for interference in the stretch of Saturday’s ninth race. First-time starter Paganol, a 3-year-old Tiz Wonderful colt, won the race by a nose over Street Strategy, owned by Dave Clark of Little Rock. Tiz Wonderful also sired the winner of Friday’s ninth race, unbeaten 3-year-old Bourbonize. … Unbeaten 3-year-old filly Kiss Moon represented the first victory of the 2014 Oaklawn meeting in Saturday’s seventh race for jockey Terry Thompson with his new agent, former racing official Coleman Lloyd.
… Owner/trainer Steve Asmussen claimed 9-yearold Grand Sensation out of Saturday’s fifth race for $12,500. The gelding earned almost $400,000 for owners Alex and JoAnn Lieblong of Conway and trainer Steve Hobby of Hot Springs.
At the post
DAY 2 ATTENDANCE 16,917 ON-TRACK HANDLE $1,221,947.30 OFF-TRACK HANDLE $3,238,055.96 TOTAL HANDLE $4,460,003.26.
CLASSIX CARRYOVER $2,822.10 SATURDAY’S STARS Drogue, owned by Oaklawn President Charles Cella, trained by Mike Johnson of Star City and ridden by Calvin Borel, won the $100,000 Fifth Season Stakes for older horses by a record nine lengths.
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) PRICES Admission $2; parking in Oaklawn lots $2; reserved seats $4.50;
programs $2; Daily Racing Form $5, $6.50, $7.50; tip sheets $2-$5.
Sports, Pages 28 on 01/12/2014