Carousel Tops Saturday Card
The 30th running of the Carousel Stakes will highlight Saturday’s card. The six furlongs sprint features a talented field of seven older fillies and mares. Palanka City (pictured) will go for her second stakes win of the meet as six others vie for their first at Oaklawn.
Palanka City, the likely favorite, most notably battled Rated Fiesty and produced one of the best rivalries of the meet in the Spring Fever and American Beauty stakes. The Terry Gestes trainee has had success at Oaklawn posting a record of three wins and two seconds from six starts. The Carson City filly breaks from post six under regular rider Chris Emigh.
Larry Jones’ Blowing Kisses will try for her first stakes win of 2009 in the Carousel. The four-year-old filly by Vindication ran second and third in a pair of stakes at Aqueduct this year. In her most recent outing she won an allowance optional claiming event under Oaklawn’s leading rider Terry Thompson, who will be back in the saddle Saturday.
The likely pace setter in the group will be Pro Pink from Mac Robertson’s stable. The five-year-old mare will be making her second start off a layoff. Pro Pink will be looking for her second career stakes victory after taking last years Hoist the Flag at Canterbury Park in Minnesota. Cliff Berry will be in the saddle for the first time on Pro Pink, who will break from the gate from post two.
The completed field with trainer and jockey: Solarana, Bernie Flint, Jon Court; Clever Strike, Don Von Hemel, Quincy Hamilton; Irish Party, Kelly Von Hemel, Eddie Razo, Jr.; Minewander, David Vance, Larry Melancon.
Post time for the tenth and featured race will be 5:31 p.m. CDT.
Rainbow Miss Features Eight Arkansas Bred Fillies
The Rainbow Miss and Rainbow Stakes give Arkansas breeders a chance to showcase what they have every year. On Saturday the Rainbow Miss will highlight the top three-year-old fillies bred in Arkansas. A field of nine entered for the co-feature on Saturday’s card, headlined by the entry Affirmed Truth and Awesome Truth from Tim Ice’s stable.
Affirmed Truth enters the Rainbow Miss off a win in her most recent race. The Proudest Romeo filly faced Fantasy Stakes favorite Rachel Alexandra in the Martha Washington Stakes, where she ran fourth after setting the pace in the early part of the race. Jon Court will ride Affirmed Truth in the Rainbow Miss.
On the far outside Terry Gestes sends out Robin My Girl, who has been consistently in the money in her three starts at Oaklawn. The daughter of Mutakddim will try for her second win of the meet and her first stakes score of her career. Before breaking her maiden at Oaklawn, Robin My Girl ran against open company in the Bassinet Stakes at River Downs in Ohio. Chris Emigh (pictured) will break from the eight hole in the Rainbow Miss.
Time Well Spent ships in for the Rainbow Miss for trainer Michelle Lovell. The Storm and a Half filly will be making her first start against Arkansas bred fillies. In her most recent race she finished sixth in an allowance race at Fair Grounds. The speedster will get Quincy Hamilton in the saddle for the Arkansas bred stakes race.
The rest of the field includes, listed with trainer and jockey: Dona’s Diva, Tim Dixon, Alex Birzer; Divine Wish, Bret Calhoun, Cliff Berry; Scamp and a Half, Scotty McNair, Calvin Borel; Humble Storm Kathy, Steve Asmussen, Luis Quinonez; Smell the Roses, David Whited, Perry Compton.
The Rainbow Miss will be the ninth race on the eleven race card and will run at 5:02 p.m. CDT.
A Little Bit More
Superior Storm, who last out beat Proud Spell in an allowance race, worked a half mile over a fast track this morning. The Rick Jackson (pictured) trainee worked 48.20 in preparation for her next start. Jackson has indicated that he will look at the nominations for both the $500,000 Apple Blossom on April 4th and the $100,000 Bayakoa stakes on April 8th before making any decisions with his barn star.
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