imaufo
13-03-2003, 09:23
LIVE RACING RESUMES THURSDAY; CLASSIX CARRYOVER AT $47,319
Live racing resumes Thursday. Gates open at 11:00 a.m. First post time for the 10-race card is 1:30 p.m. CLASSIX carryover pool at $47,319.
Simulcast and Instant Racing will be available throughout the afternoon on Thursday. The simulcast tracks available include Tampa Bay Downs, Aqueduct, Gulfstream Park, Fair Grounds, Golden Gate Fields and Santa Anita.
PURSE OF FIFTH SEASON RAISED TO $100,000
Oaklawn officials have announced that the purse for the Fifth Season Stakes, for four-year-olds and upwards at a mile-and-a-sixteenth, to be run Wednesday, April 9, as part of the Racing Festival of the South, has been raised to $100,000 guaranteed. The race was originally scheduled at $50,000 guaranteed.
"This race returns to our schedule after it was not run last year," noted Oaklawn general manager, Eric Jackson. "We think that raising the purse is appropriate, given the quality of horses we have here that will not yet be ready for the level of comptetion of the Oaklawn Handicap on April 5. Many in racing," he added, "Are tracking graded races and we understand that attaining and retaining graded stakes races requires a minimum purse of $100,000. We're happy to be in a position where we can take the Fifth Season Stakes to that level this year."
Red n'Gold
SATURDAY'S OAKLAWN BREEDERS' CUP FEATURES QUALITY RUNNERS
Braun & English's Pippin Stakes (pictured here) winner Red n'Gold and the highly-regarded New York stakes mare Mandy's Gold figure to head the field for Saturday's featured $200,000 Oaklawn Breeders' Cup. The mile-and-a-sixteenth test for three-year-old and upward fillies and mares serves as the final local test for the distaffers getting ready for the $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap, set for Saturday, April 5, as part of the Racing Festival of the South.
Red n'Gold finished second in the Oaklawn Breeders' Cup last season to California invader, Ask Me No Secrets, following a win in the Pippin. This year trainer Bob Holthus hopes to capture the win that just evaded him last season. The chestnut daughter of Tabasco Cat possesses quality speed and may be the one to catch in Saturday's field.
Mandy's Gold, however, comes to the Oaklawn Bre! eders' Cup with the most credentials and will be the likely favorite. The brilliant runner captured five wins and six seconds from 13 starts in 2002, including wins in Belmont Park's Ruffian Handicap, Saratoga's Honorable Miss Handicap, Delaware's Sweet n Sassy Stakes, Arlington Park's Chicago Breeders' Cup Handicap and Philadelphia Park's My Juliet Stakes.
A total of 21 nominations were received in Racing Secretary Pat Pope's office for the Saturday feature race. First post time at Oaklawn on Saturday will be 1:00 p.m.
http://www.oaklawn.com/adminphotos/oak03_nq_pippin_redngogroom.jpg
RAZORBACK HANDICAP, A STELLAR MATCHUP
A matchup of a number of the finest horses at Oaklawn appears likely in Sunday's $100,000 Razorback Handicap. The mile-and-a-sixteenth test for four-year-olds and upwards will also give the local older stars their final prep before the onslaught of other fine runners from across the land for the $500,000 Oaklawn Handicap on Saturday, April 5.
At least four of the brightest stars of the Oaklawn season are expected in Sunday's starting gate. Irish Acres Farm's Colorful Tour, impressive winner of the Essex Handicap, will be joined by Charles Cella's Crafty Shaw, Boyce & Ruffolo's Mc Mahon and Team Valor's Windward Passage in one of the most exciting editions of the Razorback since Cyrol defeated Pawhuska Sam in the first running back in 1960. This year's Razorback, the 44th renewal, will see a new champion, since the two-time defending champion, ! Mr Ross, is not yet ready to resume his racing career.
Colorful Tour, the likely favorite, is on a four-race winning streak, dating back to his win over Illinois-breds in the Demetri Boy Stakes at Hawthorne in early December. His most recent score, in the Essex Handicap, was by a length-and-a-half and over the toughest field he has faced to date. The Noel Hickey trainee has an enviable career mark of nine wins from 15 starts and earnings of $392,444 coming into the race.
Crafty Shaw, however, will draw a lot of support and should be ready for a big effort. The Peter Vestal-conditioned five-year-old had a rough trip as the odds-on favorite in the Essex Handicap and figures to be sharp for this outing. He has won a stakes event at Oaklawn each of the last two years and will be attempting to add to his career earnings mark of $527,455 in this race.
Windward Passage appears to have found a home at Oaklawn, with two of his three career wins here. He capt! ured the Rebel here last spring and impressively scored over a solid allowance field prepping for the Razorback in February. A third place finish in the 2002 Arkansas Derby is his only non-winning performance over the Oaklawn strip.
Trainer Don Von Hemel may opt to swing Mc Mahon into the Razorback off his big allowance win on March 7. The five-year-old gelding by Salt Lake dominated a nice field in a four-length win, getting a mile in the fastest time of the season, 1:36.4. The chestnut runner notched a win at a mile-and-a-sixteenth last summer in the Precisionist Handicap at Prairie Meadows, signalling that he belongs at this level.
In all 22 runners were nominated for the Razorback Handicap. First post time for Sunday's racing program will be 1:30 p.m.
http://www.oaklawn.com/adminphotos/oak03_nq_essex_colortour_wj.jpg
ENTRIES (http://www.oaklawn.com/entries/entries.asp)
Workouts (http://www.oaklawn.com/entries/workouts-main.asp)
OAKLAWN PARK link (http://www.oaklawn.com/)
Live racing resumes Thursday. Gates open at 11:00 a.m. First post time for the 10-race card is 1:30 p.m. CLASSIX carryover pool at $47,319.
Simulcast and Instant Racing will be available throughout the afternoon on Thursday. The simulcast tracks available include Tampa Bay Downs, Aqueduct, Gulfstream Park, Fair Grounds, Golden Gate Fields and Santa Anita.
PURSE OF FIFTH SEASON RAISED TO $100,000
Oaklawn officials have announced that the purse for the Fifth Season Stakes, for four-year-olds and upwards at a mile-and-a-sixteenth, to be run Wednesday, April 9, as part of the Racing Festival of the South, has been raised to $100,000 guaranteed. The race was originally scheduled at $50,000 guaranteed.
"This race returns to our schedule after it was not run last year," noted Oaklawn general manager, Eric Jackson. "We think that raising the purse is appropriate, given the quality of horses we have here that will not yet be ready for the level of comptetion of the Oaklawn Handicap on April 5. Many in racing," he added, "Are tracking graded races and we understand that attaining and retaining graded stakes races requires a minimum purse of $100,000. We're happy to be in a position where we can take the Fifth Season Stakes to that level this year."
Red n'Gold
SATURDAY'S OAKLAWN BREEDERS' CUP FEATURES QUALITY RUNNERS
Braun & English's Pippin Stakes (pictured here) winner Red n'Gold and the highly-regarded New York stakes mare Mandy's Gold figure to head the field for Saturday's featured $200,000 Oaklawn Breeders' Cup. The mile-and-a-sixteenth test for three-year-old and upward fillies and mares serves as the final local test for the distaffers getting ready for the $500,000 Apple Blossom Handicap, set for Saturday, April 5, as part of the Racing Festival of the South.
Red n'Gold finished second in the Oaklawn Breeders' Cup last season to California invader, Ask Me No Secrets, following a win in the Pippin. This year trainer Bob Holthus hopes to capture the win that just evaded him last season. The chestnut daughter of Tabasco Cat possesses quality speed and may be the one to catch in Saturday's field.
Mandy's Gold, however, comes to the Oaklawn Bre! eders' Cup with the most credentials and will be the likely favorite. The brilliant runner captured five wins and six seconds from 13 starts in 2002, including wins in Belmont Park's Ruffian Handicap, Saratoga's Honorable Miss Handicap, Delaware's Sweet n Sassy Stakes, Arlington Park's Chicago Breeders' Cup Handicap and Philadelphia Park's My Juliet Stakes.
A total of 21 nominations were received in Racing Secretary Pat Pope's office for the Saturday feature race. First post time at Oaklawn on Saturday will be 1:00 p.m.
http://www.oaklawn.com/adminphotos/oak03_nq_pippin_redngogroom.jpg
RAZORBACK HANDICAP, A STELLAR MATCHUP
A matchup of a number of the finest horses at Oaklawn appears likely in Sunday's $100,000 Razorback Handicap. The mile-and-a-sixteenth test for four-year-olds and upwards will also give the local older stars their final prep before the onslaught of other fine runners from across the land for the $500,000 Oaklawn Handicap on Saturday, April 5.
At least four of the brightest stars of the Oaklawn season are expected in Sunday's starting gate. Irish Acres Farm's Colorful Tour, impressive winner of the Essex Handicap, will be joined by Charles Cella's Crafty Shaw, Boyce & Ruffolo's Mc Mahon and Team Valor's Windward Passage in one of the most exciting editions of the Razorback since Cyrol defeated Pawhuska Sam in the first running back in 1960. This year's Razorback, the 44th renewal, will see a new champion, since the two-time defending champion, ! Mr Ross, is not yet ready to resume his racing career.
Colorful Tour, the likely favorite, is on a four-race winning streak, dating back to his win over Illinois-breds in the Demetri Boy Stakes at Hawthorne in early December. His most recent score, in the Essex Handicap, was by a length-and-a-half and over the toughest field he has faced to date. The Noel Hickey trainee has an enviable career mark of nine wins from 15 starts and earnings of $392,444 coming into the race.
Crafty Shaw, however, will draw a lot of support and should be ready for a big effort. The Peter Vestal-conditioned five-year-old had a rough trip as the odds-on favorite in the Essex Handicap and figures to be sharp for this outing. He has won a stakes event at Oaklawn each of the last two years and will be attempting to add to his career earnings mark of $527,455 in this race.
Windward Passage appears to have found a home at Oaklawn, with two of his three career wins here. He capt! ured the Rebel here last spring and impressively scored over a solid allowance field prepping for the Razorback in February. A third place finish in the 2002 Arkansas Derby is his only non-winning performance over the Oaklawn strip.
Trainer Don Von Hemel may opt to swing Mc Mahon into the Razorback off his big allowance win on March 7. The five-year-old gelding by Salt Lake dominated a nice field in a four-length win, getting a mile in the fastest time of the season, 1:36.4. The chestnut runner notched a win at a mile-and-a-sixteenth last summer in the Precisionist Handicap at Prairie Meadows, signalling that he belongs at this level.
In all 22 runners were nominated for the Razorback Handicap. First post time for Sunday's racing program will be 1:30 p.m.
http://www.oaklawn.com/adminphotos/oak03_nq_essex_colortour_wj.jpg
ENTRIES (http://www.oaklawn.com/entries/entries.asp)
Workouts (http://www.oaklawn.com/entries/workouts-main.asp)
OAKLAWN PARK link (http://www.oaklawn.com/)