Alina Headlines Bayakoa Stakes
The Racing Festival of the South continues to roll on next week with the Bayakoa Stakes on Wednesday and the Fifth Season on Thursday. The $100,000 Bayakoa Stakes will feature a field of 10 older fillies and mares.
The mile and one-sixteenth race will be headlined by Savorthetime Stables, LP’s Alina. The four-year-old Came Home filly exits the Goddess Stakes with a five and one-quarter length score. In her last outing at Oaklawn, Alina finished second to Eight Belles in the 2008 edition of the Fantasy Stakes. The Bayakoa will be the second outing of 2009 for the Steve Asmussen trainee. Luis Quinonez has the call on Alina in the Wednesday feature.
Pin Oak Stable’s Euphony (pictured) will look for her fourth win at Oaklawn in the Bayakoa Stakes. The Donnie K. Von Hemel trainee will be coming off a five month layoff after winning the Remington Park Oaks in her last outing. The Forest Wildcat filly has never finished worse than third from eight career starts and in 2008 took the Instant Racing Stakes on closing day of the meet. Regular rider Cliff Berry will be in the saddle for Wednesday.
Devil House, for owners Glencrest Farm LLC, will look for her first win since being transferred to trainer Lynn Whiting’s barn. The Chester House mare in her most recent race tried to go gate to wire in the Azeri Stakes on March 8th, but tired, finishing third. The mare has had success over the Oaklawn strip taking the 2007 Dixie Belle and the 2007 Martha Washington Stakes. Calvin Borel will break from the two post with Devil House.
The other prominent contenders in the race are Larry Jones’ two starters of My Heavenly Sign and Tammy’s Victress. Cindy Jones and Susan Knoll’s My Heavenly Sign finished fifth in the Truly Bound Handicap in her last outing at Fair Grounds, which was her first race of 2009. She will be looking to give Jones his second stakes score of the meeting. Tammy’s Victress will look to give owners Michael Pressley, Ray Francis, and Kevin Francke a win for 2009. In her last outing the Yankee Victor mare ran second to Alina in the Goddess Stakes at Delta Downs. Terry Thompson will have the call on Tammy’s Victress for the Bayakoa.
The completed field listed with trainer and jockey: Holistic, Daniel Peitz, Jon Court; Clever Strike, Don Von Hemel, Quincy Hamilton; Stealin’ Kisses, D. Wayne Lukas, Israel Ocampo; Distinctive Dixie, Wally Dollase, Jesus Castanon; Lindsey’s Wish, Kelly Von Hemel, Eddie Razo, Jr.
Post time for the Wednesday headliner will be 5:11 p.m. CDT and it is scheduled as the ninth race on the ten race card.
Fifth Season Packs Full Field
After It’s A Bird took the $500,000 Oaklawn Handicap, the $100,000 Fifth Season, brother to the Handicap, will load a full field of 12 for the Thursday feature. Four of the horses entered for the Fifth Season are shipping in for the race, and the rest of the field is based at Oaklawn. The handicap division at Oaklawn has been tough this meet and the Fifth Season will be no different.
Millard R. Seldin Revocable Trust’s Golden Yank enters the Fifth Season off a disappointing effort in the Mervin H. Muniz Jr. Memorial Handicap finishing ninth on a good turf course on that day. The four-year-old Yankee Gentleman gelding will look for his first win at Oaklawn where he has been based the last two meetings with trainer Gary Thomas. Tim Doocy will guide Golden Yank in the mile and one-sixteenth race.
Zayat Stables, LLC’s Z Fortune ran second in last year’s Arkansas Derby and went on to the Kentucky Derby where he finished 10th. After finishing a badly beaten eighth in the West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer in August, trainer Steve Asmussen gave the Siphon colt a six month vacation. Quincy Hamilton has the call on Z Fortune in the Fifth Season and will break from the five post.
Shim Racing, LLC’s Shim’s Pride enters the Fifth Season off a nice effort in the Razorback Handicap, finishing a closing second on that day. The son of Awesome Again has been in the money 80 percent of the time in races at Oaklawn. He posts a record of 5-11-4 from 28 starts overall and will look to give trainer Steve Hobby his first stakes win of the meeting. Israel Ocampo has the call on Shim’s Pride for the Thursday feature. “Shim’s Pride is an oddity in that he developed late. You wouldn’t think a horse would peak at age six,” mentioned Hobby. “He’s been one or two his last six starts. If he runs well on Thursday we have a spot in Chicago picked out for him.”
Two horses to be aware of will be Spotsgone and Sebastian County (pictured). Robert Yagos’ Spotsgone enters off a fourth place finish in the Razorback Handicap. The son of Bright Launch will be looking for his first win since February 2008. The William Fires trainee will be the pacesetter in the Fifth Season. Trainer Don Von Hemel sends out Sebastian County for owner Dream Walkin Farms. The Hennessy colt won his last outing over the Oaklawn strip and will be looking for his second stakes score at Oaklawn after winning the 2008 edition of the Northern Spur. “This horse got good here this time last year,” mentioned Von Hemel, “That seems to be the case again this year.”
The completed field with trainer and jockey: Going Ballistic, Donnie K. Von Hemel, Cliff Berry; Acting Zippy, William Bennett, Terry Thompson; Cryptolight, Joseph Martin, Eddie Razo, Jr.; Like An Eagle, Mac Robertson, Chris Emigh; Glamour Guy,Ralph Nicks, Calvin Borel; Encaustic, Steve Asmussen, Jon Court; Stonehouse, Joseph “Spanky” Broussard, Perry Compton.
Post time for the Thursday’s 10th race will be 5:47 p.m. CDT on the 11 race card.
A Little Bit More
Arkansas Derby contenders Papa Clem and Poltergeist put in their respective final works before the $1,000,000 race next Saturday. Papa Clem worked five panels in a bullet 58.80 for trainer Gary Stute. Poltergeist strolled in 1:02.00 for Donnie K. Von Hemel going five-eighths under jockey Quincy Hamilton.
Andrew St. Lawrence, assistant trainer to Kiaran McLaughlin, reported that Apple Blossom victress Seventh Street (pictured) came back well from her five and three-quarter length romp yesterday. “She ate up all her feed last night, and ate up this morning. She came out of the race very good,” said St. Lawrence. “We will ship out this afternoon to Keeneland and will walk for the next four or five days.”
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