Talented Horses Ship in for Mountain Valley
The $50,000 Mountain Valley highlights a field of eight in the six furlong sprint. The Saturday feature will line up a competitive field of three-year-olds attempting to add a stakes win next to their name.
Trainer Bernie Flint’s Citizen ships in from the Fair Grounds off a fifth place finish in the Black Gold Stakes. Facing stakes company in six out of his last seven starts the son of City Zip looks to regain his form in the Mountain Valley. Jon Court will ride Citizen, who breaks from the inside rail.
Another interesting shipper for the Mountain Valley will be that of Big Push from the barn of Richie Scherer. The son of Black Mambo also exits the Black Gold Stakes, where he finished second. Big Push looks to improve his record where he shows two wins, two places, and one show from seven starts. Jesse Campbell, twin brother to Joel Campbell who rides regularly at Oaklawn this season, will be in from Fair Grounds to ride Big Push.
Current leading trainer in the nation by wins, Steve Asmussen (pictured), sends in the duo of Doc Posse and Lyin Heart. Doc Posse, fresh off breaking his maiden at the Fair Grounds, will be making his first try at stakes company in the Mountain Valley. Luis Quinonez will ride the son of Posse in Saturday’s race. Lyin Heart showed promise as a two-year-old running second in the Bashford Manor at Churchill Downs. After finishing a disappointing ninth in the Saratoga Special at Saratoga, the son of Lion Heart enters the Mountain Valley off a six month lay-off. Quincy Hamilton will be in the irons on Saturday.
The completed field, horse with trainer and jockey: Flying Private, D. Wayne Lukas, Israel Ocampo; N.Y. Wise Guy, Terry Gestes, Chris Emigh; Dance Caller, Robert Holthus, Terry Thompson; Bertsgoldenmissile, Jorge Lara, Eusebio Razo, Jr..
The Mountain Valley goes off as the featured ninth from the ten race card and has a post time of 5:02 p.m. central standard time.
Thompson Still Tops at Oaklawn
Jockey Terry Thompson (pictured) keeps bringing home winners at Oaklawn, so many that he currently sits atop the jockey standings. At the end of Sunday’s race day, Thompson had 27 wins to his name, ten more than Chris Emigh, who sits second in the standings. Not bad for the 37-year-old who got his start as a hot walker for Hall of Famer Jack Van Berg.
In his tenth year riding at Oaklawn, Thompson came into the 2009 meet ready to compete and has done well so far. “I had a good feeling about this meeting coming up to opening day. I have been getting on good horses in the morning, and they all were training very well. I knew that I would be riding horses for some stables that always win races,” commented Thompson in the track kitchen on Wednesday.
Thompson, who last year finished eighth in the jockey standings, set an important goal for this meet. “I tell myself I want to average a winner a day here at Oaklawn. For example, this meeting has 54 race days. So my goal is to win 54 races,” smiled the Oaklawn veteran, “If you are establishing goals for yourself, the major one is to stay healthy. I strive to do the best I can, and hope that everything goes well.”
The halfway point to the Oaklawn meeting is this Saturday, and with already 27 wins to his name, Thompson has reached the halfway point to his goal of a win a day.
A Little Bit More
Martha Washington victress Rachel Alexandra (pictured) took the Oaklawn oval this morning working five panels in preparation for her upcoming start in the Fair Ground Oaks. The Hal Wiggins trainee went 1:00.80, and galloped out in leisurely 1:12.4 under jockey Calvin Borel. Future plans call for the daughter of Medaglia D’Oro to work once more at Oaklawn and then leave for the Fair Grounds on March 11.
Jockey Jose Caraballo will ride today’s feature and Friday’s feature for trainer Tim Ritchey. Caraballo, who rides primarily for Ritchey at Delaware Park, rides Bon Jovi Girl in today’s ninth race and will ride highly regarded Wise Kid in tomorrow’s featured allowance race.
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