3-year-olds pointing to first prep

HOT SPRINGS - Oaklawn Park racing secretary Pat Pope said early Thursday afternoon that 10 horses remain probable for the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes for 3-year olds Monday afternoon at Oaklawn Park.

Horses under consideration for the 1-mile race, Pope said, are: A Step Ahead, Coastline, D’Cajun Cat, Denali Rahy Ruler, Fire Starter, Son of a Preacher, Tanzanite Cat, Unstoppable Colby, Walt and Whyruawesome.

Coastline, trained by Mark Casse, figures to be one of the favorites. The gray son of Speightstown finished eighth as the favorite in the $1 million Grade III Delta Jackpot Stakes on Nov. 23 at Delta Downs in Louisiana.

Coastline won 2 of 4 starts last year, including the $60,000 Street Sense Stakes on Oct. 27 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

Post positions for the Smarty Jones will be drawn today.

The Smarty Jones is worth 17 points on the Kentucky Derby eligibility system, which is used to determine starting preference if more than 20 horses enter.

The Smarty Jones winner will receive 10 points, with the 2-3-4 finishers earning 4 points, 2 points and 1 point, respectively.

Smack talk

Multiple stakes winner Smack Smack had his first published workout of 2014 on Monday morning, covering a half-mile in :49.40 for trainer Don Von Hemel of Hot Springs.

Smack Smack is nominated to Monday’s $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes, but Von Hemel said he’s undecided about when the gelding will make his 3-year-old debut.

Smack Smack closed out his productive 2-year-old campaign with a third place finish in the $300,000 Springboard Mile Stakes on Dec. 15 at Remington Park in Oklahoma City.

“We had a little incident in the paddock that probably cost him something,” Von Hemel said. “But he still ran a very creditable race.”

Von Hemel said Smack Smack reared and “kind of sat on his butt” before the race, but wasn’t injured.

The gelding was beaten 5¾ lengths in the Springboard Mile, which produced probable 3-year old champion Will Take Charge in 2012.

“He’s probably one of the few 2-year-olds in the country that won three stakes,” Von Hemel said of Smack Smack.

Smack Smack won the $75,000 Prairie Gold Juvenile on July 20 at Prairie Meadows in Iowa, the $60,000 Prairie Meadows Juvenile Mile Stakes on Aug.

10 and the $100,000 Clever Trevor Stakes on Nov. 8 at Remington Park.

Smack Smack’s stakes victories were at 5½ furlongs, 7 furlongs and a mile.

“He’s a nice young horse that you hope has a future,” Von Hemel said.

Smack Smack, a son of 2005 Kentucky Derby runner-up Closing Argument, races for his breeder, country music star Toby Keith.

Following the Smarty Jones, Oaklawn’s Kentucky Derby prep series continues with the $300,000 Grade III Southwest Stakes on Feb. 17.

Oaklawn racing secretary Pat Pope said he believes a half-dozen Smarty Jones nominees are awaiting the Southwest at 1 1-16 miles.

Rulings

“Big Steve” Krajcir of Hot Springs, the agent for Jon Court, said the jockey is appealing a three-day riding suspension that was scheduled to begin today.

Stewards cited Court for an incident in Saturday’s ninth race, a maiden special weights sprint, in which his mount, Brewing, drifted out in midstretch under lefthanded urging.

According to the stewards’ ruling released Thursday afternoon, Court allowed Brewing “to drift out inside the eighth pole causing Discipline to steady and fall out of contention.”

Discipline was the original sixth-place finisher.

Court is scheduled to ride Sticks Wondergirl in Saturday’s $100,000 Pippin Stakes for older fillies and mares.

Leading lady

Trainer Tim Ritchey said major stakes winner Dancing Afleet is galloping in preparation for her 4-year old debut, which is expected to come in a late February or early March allowance race.

Ritchey said the race would serve as a prep for the $200,000 Grade II Azeri Stakes on March 15.

Ritchey said he’s pointing Dancing Afleet for two of the country’s biggest events for older fillies and mares, the $500,000 Grade I Apple Blossom Handicap on April 11 and the Grade I Delaware Handicap, previously worth $1 million, July 12 at Delaware Park in Stanton, Del.

Dancing Afleet, who made her career debut at Oaklawn, scored her biggest career victory to date in the $300,000 Grade II Delaware Oaks on July 13 at Delaware Park.

Dancing Afleet hasn’t started since running fifth in the $1 million Grade I Cotillion Stakes on Sept. 21 at Parx near Philadelphia.

Ritchey said he decided to give the filly an extended vacation after the Cotillion because of limited opportunities on the East Coast and running six times in a little more than five months.

She was beaten 3 1-2 lengths by Close Hatches.

“We didn’t get the best of trips, and it wasn’t a great a racetrack,” said Ritchey, who also trained Dancing Afleet’s sire, champion Afleet Alex. “Just gave her a little time. She did everything she needed to do. She made a lot of money last year.”

Ritchey said he believes Dancing Afleet has a chance to develop into one of the country’s top older females in 2014.

“She ran with some good horses in the Cotillion, and wasn’t that far behind them and didn’t get the best of trips,” Ritchey said. “I don’t think she could have won it,but I think she could have been second with a better trip.”

Dancing Afleet won three times last year and earned $286,250.

Rabbit tracks

On behalf of Jackrabbit Thoroughbreds LLC (Gary Elmore), trainer Chris Richard claimed Thursday’s ninth-race winner, Pocket Medal, for $6,500.

Elmore is a Lonoke insurance agent, whose purple and white silks - the colors of Lonoke High School - are adorned with a white rabbit. Lonoke’s mascot is the Jackrabbit.

Elmore, who played on Lonoke’s state championship basketball and baseball teams in 1969, won his first race as an owner at last year’s Oaklawn meeting with Sleeve, a $5,000 claim by Richard in December 2012 at Remington Park in Oklahoma City.

According to Equibase, racing’s official data gathering organization, Jackrabbit Thoroughbreds LLC. has only had two starters, both by Sleeve at last year’s Oaklawn meeting.

Final furlong

The track was rated fast for the first time at the meeting Thursday. … Trainer Paul Holthus and wife Nancy, a member of the Oaklawn media relations department, scored their second victory of the meeting Thursday when Majestic Shoes won the fifth race. The Holthus’ three-horse N P H Stable finished second with its first starter of the meeting.

Signature Event, also owned by N P H, represented the first winner for Paul Holthus as a trainer since Feb. 24, 1995, in Sunday’s ninth race. Holthus launched a training comeback at this year’s Oaklawn meeting. … Six older fillies and mares are entered in Saturday’s $100,000 Pippin Stakes at 1 1-16 miles, including defending champion and 4-5 program favorite Don’t Tell Sophia, who will be ridden by Channing Hill.

Also entered are Sister Ginger, Sticks Wondergirl, Custody, Fully Living and Dixie Strike. … Oaklawn is honoring Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas with a full-page ad in track programs. Lukas will receive the Eclipse Award of Merit (lifetime achievement) during the Eclipse Awards dinner Saturday night at Gulfstream Park near Miami.At the post DAY 4 ATTENDANCE 3,064 ON-TRACK HANDLE $286,307.70 OFF-TRACK HANDLE $2,009,018.40 TOTAL HANDLE $2,277,326.10 CLASSIX CARRYOVER $1,129.38 THURSDAY’S STARS Jockey Terry Thompson, trainer Chris Richard and owner Maggi Moss teamed for two victories. Bull Dozer ran the fastest 6 furlongs of the meeting (1:11.47) to win the $57,500 third-level allowance feature by 2¼ lengths over Texas Bling. Cliff Berry rode the winner for trainer Bret Calhoun. TODAY’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) 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.

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, 6-9) TODAY’S SIMULCASTING SCHEDULE Aqueduct (11:25 a.m.), Tampa Bay Downs (11:25 a.m.), Calder (11:30 a.m.), Gulfstream Park (11:40 a.m.), Golden Gate Fields (2:45 p.m.), Santa Anita (3 p.m.), Penn National (5 p.m.), Fair Grounds (5 p.m.), Turfway Park (5:15 p.m.), Delta Downs (5:45 p.m.), Wheeling (5:45 p.m.), Charles Town (6 p.m.), Sam Houston (7 p.m.), Southland (7:30 p.m.

Sports, Pages 28 on 01/17/2014