AT THE POST

Trainer Brad Cox
Trainer Brad Cox

Day 26

ESTIMATED ATTENDANCE 2,000

photo

AP

In this file photo Preakness winner Shackleford, right, with Jesus Castanon aboard, react after winning the 136th Preakness Stakes horse race at Pimlico Race Course, Saturday, May 21, 2011.

ON-TRACK HANDLE $229,140

OFF-TRACK HANDLE $1,800,622

TOTAL HANDLE $2,029,762

CLASSIX CARRYOVER $5,384

WEATHER FORECAST Partly cloudy skies in the morning, giving way to cloudy skies during the afternoon. A few flurries or snow showers are possible. High of 32 degrees.

TODAY’S WAGERING MENU Win-placeshow, 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 11:25 a.m. Tampa Bay, 11:30 a.m., Laurel, 12 p.m. Gulfstream Park, 12:20 p.m. Aqueduct, 1:45 p.m. Hawthorne, 2:45 p.m. Golden Gate, 3 p.m. Santa Anita, 5 p.m. Fair Grounds, 5 p.m. Penn National, 5:15 p.m. Penn National, 5:30 p.m. Delta Downs, 5:45 p.m. Wheeling (greyhounds), 6:05 p.m. Charles Town, 7:05 p.m. Sam Houston, 7:30 p.m. Southland (greyhounds), 9 p.m. Los Alamitos

THURSDAY’S STARS

Trainer Brad Cox and first-time starter Weast Hill in the seventh race. Cox had Weast Hill, a 3-year-old son of Rockport Harbor, ready to roll in the $64,000 maiden allowance for Arkansas breds at 6 furlongs.

Weast Hill broke on top and never looked back while running the fastest opening quarter-mile of the day on a sloppy track that produced extremely slow fractional and final times.

Weast Hill, ridden by Jesus Castanon, led by a half-length in 22.49 after the opening quarter-mile, increased his lead to a length in 47.29 at the half-mile mark and drew away to win by 7½ lengths in 1:12.82, the second-fastest 6-furlong time of the day. Weast Hill was the only sprint winner to lead at every call.

Seven of the nine races were run at either 5½ or 6 furlongs. Electric Temptress, a 4-year-old filly who won the $67,000 featured eighth-race allowance by 3 lengths, hit the wire in 1:12.07, the fastest time of the day.

FINAL FURLONG

A different trainer won each of Thursday’s nine races, with Randy Matthews (Lawyer Daggett, $13 in the second) and Joe Petalino (Star of Edmund, $14.40 in the ninth) winning for the first time this season and leading trainer Federico Villafranco (Swift Humor, $4 in the first) winning for the 13th time. … Weast Hill’s victory in the seventh race was the 12th by a first-time starter at the meet and the second trained by Brad Cox, who also has had two first-time starters run second in eight starts. Robertino Diodoro is 2 for 2 with first-time starters at the meet. … Leading jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. and Ramon Vazquez each rode two winners. Santana leads the standings with 28 winners, and Vasquez is third with 21 winners. Shaun Bridgmohan, who had one winner Thursday, is second with 22 victories but has the best winning percentage (23 percent) among those riding regularly at Oaklawn. … Oaklawn stewards have suspended Emmanuel Esquivel three days (Saturday, Sunday and Thursday) for allowing Raagheb to drift to the outside without being clear in the seventh race Saturday.

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