Jones a Good Guy in Sport of Kings
If a person were to open a dictionary to the term generous it would have a picture of Larry Jones (pictured) next to it. The trainer will be concluding his final meet at Oaklawn with Old Fashioned in the $1,000,000 Arkansas Derby, and at the end of 2009 will begin his retirement that will be well earned.
The trainer got his start in horse racing back in 1986 and in 1989 made his first trip to Oaklawn Jockey Club. Jones made quite an impression at the spa track. Whether it is his giving attitude or his talented stable of horses, Larry Jones is one of the good guys in horse racing. That has been no secret in the sport of kings.
“I’ve been coming to Oaklawn for awhile now. I will be back next winter, just not as a trainer,” smiled Jones. “I will winter in Hot Springs and get healthy. My wife Cindy might train a couple of horses. If I’m lucky she might let me gallop a couple of them.”
“I have had a lot of success here at Oaklawn. It has been great. We have won a number of races and even a couple of Racing Festival of the South races,” reflected the conditioner. “Oaklawn has been a home away from home. We love it here, and it has spoiled me a bit in Hot Springs.”
The trainer has already zeroed in on his plans after his retirement. “I’m looking forward to spending time with my family. I have missed a good part of my kids growing up, and I don’t want to miss my grandkids growing up,” reflected Jones. “I want to get to know my kids again and spend time with them and my grandkids. I love my family dearly,”
Jones will certainly have friends at the racetrack that will miss him as well. Deborah Keene, director of Horsemen Relations for Oaklawn, knows that horse racing has a good guy in Jones.
“Larry and Cindy are two of the hardest working people I know in this business. He is a good person, he is great horsemen, and is laid back,” commented Keene. “I can’t say enough good things about him and Cindy. I’m proud of what he has accomplished and I wish him well with everything.”
Jones will have a busy week coming up with horses running in the Arkansas Derby, the Bayakoa, the Instant Racing, and the Northern Spur Stakes. The good guy will then leave on Monday for Kentucky to prepare his barn for Derby week at Churchill Downs, and then he will move on to Delaware Park, where he will wind down his 23 year career.
Wiggins Leaves Oaklawn Speechless With Fantasy Victory
Trainer Hal Wiggins has trained some nice fillies during his career. One can recall Morris Code, who won back to back runnings of the American Beauty in 1996 and 1997, and Brown Eyed Beauty in the Spring Fever in 2003.
Now in 2009, Rachel Alexandra (pictured) has impressed and dazzled her way to the top of the three-year-old filly class under Wiggins handling. The Medaglia d’Oro filly will head to Churchill Downs off her most impressive win to date in the Fantasy Stakes, where she won by an impressive eight and three-quarters lengths.
“I am excited about Rachel Alexandra’s running in the Oaks,” commented Wiggins. “She came out of the Fantasy excellent and in good shape. I don’t feel any extra pressure having a favorite in an important race. At the same time, I feel so fortunate to have a horse that is so good.”
Wiggins said Rachel Alexandra will have two easy works leading up to the Kentucky Oaks. Trainer Tim Ritchey joked, “That was an easy breeze for her on Sunday. She was paid for that work.”
Wiggins continued, “I intend to breeze her 10 to 12 days before the Oaks, then four to five days before the race. I want both works to be real easy, and I have her right where I want her. I just want the filly to hold on to what she has.”
Rachel Alexandra will give Wiggins his first starter in the Kentucky Oaks, and the favorite at that. Not a bad hand to hold going into one of the biggest races for three-year-old fillies.
A Little Bit More
A number of Arkansas Derby starters put in their final works before the $1,000,000 race on Monday. Old Fashioned (pictured) worked five furlongs in 1:00.60 under jockey Terry Thompson. “He was very relaxed and did just what we wanted him to do,” commented Jones. “He is ready to go. That was a good easy work for him.”
Also putting in his final work for the Arkansas Derby was Rick Dutrow’s Danger to Society. The son of Harlan’s Holiday worked six furlongs in 1:16.00 over a fast track. Danger to Society will be looking to score his biggest win to date, after winning a maiden race and an allowance race. In his most recent outing he was seventh in the Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
Jockey Calvin Borel will wrap up his 2009 meet at Oaklawn on Friday’s race card. Jockey agent Jerry Hissam said that Borel has secured the mount of Theregoesjojo in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland for trainer Kenny McPeek.
William “Jinks” Fires confirmed that Prima Donna Stakes winner She’s Our Annie will miss the Instant Racing Stakes due to bruised feet. Fires said that She’s Our Annie will ship up to his Churchill Downs base and will prepare for a start during Derby week at Churchill Downs.
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