Lukas Adds Another Star
One name says it all in horse racing, D. Wayne Lukas (pictured). Honored in both the Thoroughbred world and the Quarter Horse world, Lukas has won 13 Triple Crown races, 18 Breeders’ Cup races, and four Eclipse Awards for Outstanding Trainer. The silver haired man knows a thing or two about training horses.
Now back at Oaklawn on a full-time basis, the trainer sits atop the trainer standings in a three-way tie with Allen Milligan and Jorge Lara with 10 winners. His barn never lacks nice horses, and that has been proven here lately with Be Fair, who has made two career starts and has won both.
“I was impressed with Be Fair before she had ever started,” commented Lukas. “Now that she has made a couple of starts, I am really impressed with her. She is a professional, and has a lot of ability.”
The daughter of Exchange Rate broke her maiden at Oaklawn on January 16, and then came back and won on February 15 in an allowance race. “She came along so fast and was putting things together so well. I have decided that it is time for her to try stakes company,” stated the legendary conditioner. “Be Fair won her first race on January 16, won the second race on February 15, and now we will enter the Honeybee on March 15. She broke her maiden going six furlongs, ran a mile in her last out, and the Honeybee will be going in a mile and a sixteenths. We are really thinking toward the Honeybee.”
Lukas has taken five editions of the Honeybee for three-year-old fillies. In 1988 he won with Lost Kitty, 1989 with Imaginary Lady, 1990 with Train Robbery, 1991 with Be Cool, and in 2007 with Time’s Mistress. If Be Fair continues her winning ways Lukas could add the 2009 edition of the Honeybee. The $100,000 Honeybee runs Sunday, March 15.
Mountain Valley Takes Shape
The $50,000 Mountain Valley Stakes will feature a field of four to seven horses according to racing officials at Oaklawn. The six furlong sprint will feature the likes of Bertsgoldenmissile, Dance Caller, Flying Private, and N.Y. Wise Guy.
Bertsgoldenmissile exits the Smarty Jones Stakes with a fourth place finish for trainer Jorge Lara. The son of Golden Missile has never finished worse than fourth and posts a credible record of three wins, three seconds, and two shows from nine starts. Bertsgoldenmissile has also shown in his races that he can run on the lead or can settle and lay-off the pace.
Oaklawn regular Bob Holthus (pictured) will send out Dance Caller, who has already shown a liking to the Oaklawn surface. The son of Concorde’s Tune finished second to Silver City in the Dixieland Stakes on opening day, and now enters the Mountain Valley off an allowance score on February 1st.
Fresh off winning the Spring Fever with Palanka City, trainer Terry Gestes looks to add to his Oaklawn stakes record with N.Y. Wise Guy in the Mountain Valley. Breaking his maiden in his last outing the son of Wiseman’s Ferry will be taking a step in class in his fourth career start.
The 69th edition of the Mountain Valley runs on Saturday, February 28th as the featured ninth race.
A Little Bit More
Jockey agent Jerry Hissam confirmed a schedule for his top jockey Calvin Borel (pictured) this morning. Borel next Saturday, February 28, will once again head to Gulfstream Park in Florida to ride Beethoven in the Fountain of Youth Stakes for trainer John Ward and then Delightful Kiss for Pete Anderson in the Canadian Turf Stakes. Hissam also announced that the Oaklawn Racetrack Chaplaincy will hold its annual dinner on Friday, March 13th at the Hot Springs Country Club. Tickets for the dinner will be $50.
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