OAKLAWN PARK NOTEBOOK
MARCH 17, 2005
by Mark Weatherton
The newly-named $175,000 Azeri Breeder’s Cup S. (G3), for fillies and mares
at 1 1/16 miles, drew a small field of six. Jockey Luis Quinonez hustled
INJUSTICE (Lit de Justice) from her inside post position to the front and drew pressure from Southern California shipper Fencelineneighbor (Wild Rush), who
battled the leader through three quarters but could not maintain the pace and
fell back when they turned for home. Colony Band (Dixieland Band)
took up the chase in upper stretch and was able to close to within a length, but
she could not catch
Injustice, who stopped the clock in 1:43 2/5.
Injustice, who had just changed barns and was making her initial start for
Wayne Catalano, picked up her first graded victory. Also, the four-year old was
stretching out to this distance for the first time having just won at a mile,
also on the stretch out. The speedy filly has won five of her last eight and
showed that she can handle two turns.
Island Sand (Tabasco Cat) was along for third with Casual Attitude (Formal
Gold), Fencelineneighbor and La Reason (Labeeb [GB]) completing the running
order.
Quinonez doubled the weekend stakes with his ride aboard ADDED EDGE (Smart
Strike) in the $125,000 Razorback Breeders’ Cup H. (G3). He settled the
Gulfstream shipper in the middle of the 10-horse field, only moving up after
three-quarters of a mile. Longshot Mauk Four (Boston Harbor) set a fast pace (:23, :46 3/5
and 1:12) as he did in last month’s Essex H. (G3) and turned for home with a
one-length lead on Added Edge. Those two battled gamely the length of the Grandstand
before Added Edge got the purse by a neck.
The Dale Romans-trained winner has now earned more than $500,000, while Mauk Four
earned his
fourth straight runner-up finish — all by less than a length. The race was unusual in that when the field came out of the last turn, all 10
horses appeared to have a chance to win it. All were within three lengths of the
lead and it was only well into the final furlong that the field began to spread.
Even at the conclusion, only five lengths covered the first seven horses.
A well-known belief holds that outside post positions in Oaklawn route races
are nearly impossible to overcome, especially at the one-mile distance. In fact, outside posts
are considered difficult to win from even in sprints. This season, the level of difficultly appears to be a lessening as at the
midpoint of the meet there have been 20 sprint winners in posts 10, 11 and 12,
compared to 25 for the entire 2004 meeting.
The number of winners for these
posts in the routes are hard for old-time Spa touts to believe. In 2004, only five (Smarty Jones
was one when breaking from the 11 hole in the 1 1/8-mile Arkansas
Derby) has already been surpassed with seven, including a winner from the 12
gate in a race run at one-mile (see Watch List), something that has not
happened in the last two years.
Leading trainer Cole Norman made history on Friday, joining David Vance and
Bobby Barnett as the only conditioners to saddle five winners in a single day.
Norman sent out eight horses in seven races, with three winners being heavily favored
and the other a 28-1 long shot. He came very close to a sixth win in
the nightcap, as his entry had the lead inside the final sixteenth before tiring to third. Norman ended up with nine winners for the week
and now owns a total of 39, giving him a 14-win cushion over Bob Holthus.
While the trainer’s race has no suspense left, the contest among the riders
is tremendous. There have been more lead changes than a short track NASCAR race.
Presently, at the top of the heap are Calvin Borel and Roman Chapa with 27
victories apiece. They are stalked by Jamie Theriot (26), Luis Quinonez and
Jeremy Rose (24) and John McKee (23). Three closers — Tim Doocy (21) Cliff Berry
(20) Terry Thompson (19) — could still blow past everybody down the lane.
HORSES TO WATCH
Wednesday (3/9)
8TH – JUST FOUR AUSTIN (El Prado [Ire]) accomplished a very rare feat,
winning a mile race after breaking from the 12 post. Mile races at Oaklawn Park
start and end in the middle of the home stretch, thus outside horses who want
the lead have to work very hard to beat the field to the first turn, most often
they are carried wide and have little left when they turn for home. The other
alternative is to wait and unleash a furious closing rush down the very short
stretch where most run out of track.
Irish import Jeff Burningham rode a
classic European turf style race, taking the Just four Austin to the rail while using as
little energy as possible raced at the back through the first half. He eased by
a couple of horses on the backstretch and continuing to slowly pick off rivals
around the turn. The gelding still had five to beat when he turned for
home and finished gamely in the final 100 yards to win by a half-length. This
performance gives him three wins and two places in his last five outings.
9TH — A change in running style returns FREE THINKING (Unbridled) to the
Watch List. He made the List two back off of a front-running victory at a mile
and was back in here at the longer 1 1/16-mile distance. Don Pettinger, who has been aboard for all three, rated
the colt in midpack through three quarters then moved him to the lead and
brought him home a winner in a sharp 1:45.
Saturday (3/12)
6TH – In his second start after a four-month layoff, BUBBA GUM (Mazel Trick)
looked like the the horse that left the Spa a year ago. He toured the six furlongs in a nice
1:10 flat, besting his allowance rivals by four lengths.
Sunday (3/13)
8TH – SIR ROGER DODGER (Storm And A Half) overcame a troubled start when he
had to check hard and lost a lot of ground before the first turn, but came back
to win by almost four lengths over a group of state-bred maiden special weights.
Even though he was favored, it was an impressive effort by the first time
starter.
10TH – TAX REFUND (Artax), an improving filly from the Holthus stable,
showed a great deal of heart when she battled to the wire pinned between two
others. She missed place money by a neck and the win by a quarter-length.