Santa Teresita Looks at Apple Blossom
The countdown for the Racing Festival of the South has begun and trainers are mapping out plans for their top horses during the 2009 stakes season. The $500,000 Grade I Apple Blossom Handicap will feature a quality field of older fillies and mares, and one will put their name along with the likes of Azeri, Banshee Breeze, and last year’s winner Zenyatta.
One confirmed starter will be that of Santa Teresita, who will come from the barn of Southern California trainer Eric Guillot. Nick “Sarge” Hines, who serves as owner Southern Equine Stable’s racing manager, said their plan is to run the five-year-old Lemon Drop mare in the Apple Blossom, April 4th. Some might recognize Hines’ name as he trained horses up until 2007, and has worked for TVG. Hines had top 2007 two-year-old Salute the Sarge named for him, who currently stands his first season at stud at Walmac Farm.
“We think we have one of the top five older filly and mares in the country right now. She’s the picture of health, and we’re confident in what she can do,” mentioned Hines by phone. “The Apple Blossom is one of the premier races in the country and we are seriously considering coming that way with her.”
“She has had one start over a dirt surface and she didn’t fare to well in that one, but that being said, we think she can do well on a dirt surface. We thought she would be a better older mare, and that is what we are looking at now,” Hines commented. “We breed to race, and race to breed, and another grade I next to her name would be nice. Long term, we are thinking Breeders’ Cup, but that is down the road.”
“Michael Baze will ride her in the Apple Blossom being Joe Talamo has another commitment that day. He has had some success on her, and we think he can handle the job,” said Hines. “In her last race in the Santa Margarita at Santa Anita she faced John Shirreffs’ filly Life is Sweet and ran into a bullet that day. We are taking what we can right now.”
Hines said tentative plans are for Santa Teresita to ship into Oaklawn five or six days before the race. “She won’t work over the track, but we will give her a couple of days of training over it.”
First Wednesday Card Drawn
Oaklawn took entries for their first Wednesday card on Saturday and came out with an intriguing feature in the ninth race. A field of six will compete in the six furlong allowance for fillies and mares.
Trainer John Cox (pictured) will send out Jones Time for her fourth start of the meet. Leading jockey Terry Thompson has the call on the four-year-old Seneca Jones filly. In her last out here, Jones Time was beat a neck at the same level. The filly can use a variety of running tactics, both showing speed and rating off the pace in previous starts.
Veteran trainer Joe Petalino will send out Conga Queen to try for her third consecutive win. Jockey Bryan McNeil will once again ride the three-year-old Congaree filly. Conga Queen will once again take a step up from the claiming ranks to try her hand at the allowance condition.
An interesting filly in the race, Theycallmeladyluck from trainer Kelly Von Hemel’s stable, comes off a year layoff, but has been working forwardly to her 2009 debut. Tim Doocy will ride the Dixie Union filly in her come back and will look to repeat her maiden score here last year where she won by ten lengths.
The rest of the field listed with trainer and jockey: Ego Mania, Ron Moquett, Calvin Borel; Jovial Monarch, Sonny Wigginton, Chris Emigh; Prenuptial Vow, Allen Milligan, Eddie Martin.
The feature ninth race for Wednesday has a post time of 5:11 p.m. CDT on the ten race card.
A Little Bit More
Oaklawn once again raised purses for the remainder of the meet. The purse increase will add $1,000 to all allowance and maiden special weight races, and will add an additional $500 to the claiming races. The purse increase will get into action on Sunday, March 22. Oaklawn has marked an increase in attendance by three percent, on-track handle by two percent, and export handle by six percent. “Our numbers continue to be surprisingly good,” Oaklawn President Charles J. Cella (pictured) commented. “We hope the latest purse increase, along with our Racing Festival of the South participation incentive, will allow us to close out the season the way our fans have come to expect, with a rousing crescendo."
|