HOT SPRINGS -- Fox Hill Farm's Whoa Nellie, the 5-2 favorite ridden by Joe Rocco, came from 81/2 lengths back a half-mile from the finish to win the $100,000, 1-mile Pippin Stakes in 1:39.50 before an estimated crowd of 30,000 at Oaklawn on Saturday.
Whoa Nellie finished seventh among 10 entrants as the 3-2 favorite in an optional-claiming 6-furlong race at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort in April.
"She's been doing very well," Whoa Nellie trainer Larry Jones said. "You always wonder. Her only bad race came on this racetrack. I said last year, 'Man, I hope it's not that she doesn't like the track,' but she works lights out over it. I just don't think the trainer and her fit enough last we ran her. I ran a short horse and didn't realize it."
Gold Standard and Irish Mischief, likely Pippin contenders trained by Brad Cox, were scratched from the race to leave a field of nine.
Special Relativity, ridden by Orlando Mojica and trained by Robertino Diodoro, finished second at 7-1, 41/2 lengths behind the winner and 1 length ahead of Cairenn, ridden by Channing Hill to a third-place finish.
Lady Suebee led by 41/2 lengths with a quarter-mile to go but faded to fourth, 21/2 lengths behind Cairenn.
"It was a very good effort by Cairenn," trainer John Ortiz said. "She had plenty of speed in front of her, so she was able to settle for Channing. I loved what he did. He put her in a very good position and started making an early move around the turn."
After splits of 22.94 through the first quarter-mile, 46.38 at the half, and 1:11.87 through three-quarters on a racetrack rated good, Lady Suebee had a 1/2-length lead over Whoa Nellie at the head of the stretch.
Special Relativity was in fourth, 3 lengths behind the leader as she straightened for the wire and before she made her way past Lady Suebee and Cairenn.
"She had a little rough trip, but I thought she ran really well," Diodoro said.
Sports on 01/26/2020