Cupid Gets Another Feel of Oaklawn Park's Racing Strip

Coolmore's Cupid, the short-priced favorite in the field of 12 sophomores contesting Saturday's $1 million (G1) Arkansas Derby, remained right on schedule as he got another feel for Oaklawn Park's racing strip on Thursday.

Jimmy Barnes, the assistant to trainer Bob Baffert, didn't wait for the special period reserved for horses running in the remaining stakes which comprise the Racing Festival of the South.

“We went out early because I didn’t want Cupid to get antsy waiting until 9 a.m. We'll probably train at 9 tomorrow," said Barnes, who also accompanied the Tapit colt here when he won the $900,000 (G2) Rebel Stakes in his last effort. 

“We just went straight off and galloped around three-quarters of a mile. Just an easy day today. We just breezed: he worked on Tuesday, walked on Wednesday, and we  just let him have an easy lope around there,” he said. 

 

 

Asked Thursday morning if he’s ever ridden in a Grade I race, jockey Alex Birzer paused and said, “I don’t know.”

But Birzer, 42, is scheduled to have the opportunity Saturday at Oaklawn in the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1) aboard Cutacorner, who is trained by Hall of Famer Jack Van Berg.

Birzer, Van Berg’s go-to rider this season in Hot Springs, recorded his only career graded stakes victory in the $100,000 Fifth Season (G3) in 2003 at Oaklawn.

“I try not to ever look at the purse,” said Birzer, who has 2,858 victories since 1992. “I’ve won so many stakes in the past – races period – when I get back, I look at the program and I’ll ask: ‘What was that worth? I just don’t ever look. There ain’t sense looking until after you win.”

Birzer, Oaklawn’s fifth-leading rider this year with 29 victories, rode Cutacorner to a ninth-place finish in the $900,000 Rebel Stakes (G2) March 19 in his last start.

The Rebel is the final local prep for the Arkansas Derby.

Cutacorner has the highest program odds (50-1) of the 12 Arkansas Derby entrants. Birzer said he believes Cutacorner can beat the odds.

“He is training really, really good,” Birzer said. “Even Jack said he’s training better. He might be a long shot, but he is on top of his game.”

Birzer will head to Prairie Meadows in Iowa after Oaklawn’s meet ends Saturday.

 

Suddenbreakingnews cleared one hurdle during Wednesday’s post position draw for the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1).

The sudden breaking news was Suddenbreakingnews drew better than he had in his two previous starts at Oaklawn, the $500,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) Feb. 15 and $900,000 Rebel Stakes (G2) March 19. He overcame post 13 to win the Southwest and finished fifth in the Rebel after breaking from the extreme outside (post 14).

“As far as the post position, we’re happy,” trainer Donnie K. Von Hemel said Thursday morning. “Just wanted to be in the middle somewhere.”

Suddenbreakingnews was among 12 horses entered in Saturday’s Arkansas Derby, which, at 1 1/8 miles, is a sixteenth of a mile longer than the Southwest and Rebel. Von Hemel said the added distance, and better post, should benefit Suddenbreakingnews, a gelded son of 2003 Horse of the Year Mineshaft.

“The longer the run to the first turn, the less post position becomes an issue,” Von Hemel said. “You go to a mile and a quarter at Churchill, and everybody wants to be outside. They don’t want to be inside because it’s a quarter of a mile to the turn.”

The Arkansas Derby offers 170 points to the top four finishers, including 100 to the winner, toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Derby May 7 at Churchill Downs.

 

Full sisters Forever Unbridled and Unbridled Forever might have a little sibling rivalry going on in trainer Dallas Stewart's barn.

Forever Unbridled, Charles Fipke's homebred 4-year-old filly who contests Friday's $600,000 (G1) Apple Blossom with John Velazquez aboard, is seeking her first Grade 1 win. Last August, her 5-yrear-old big sister captured hers with an upset win in the Ballerina (G1) at Saratoga while piloted by the same Hall of Fame rider.

“A lot of class is what they have in common, and now, too, with their 3yo younger half-brother, Forever D'Oro. Unbridled Forever and Forever Unbridled practically even look identical. It would sure be nice for Forever Unbridled to get her grade one," said Bentley Coombs, the assistant trainer to Dallas Stewart.

This is definitely a family affair. Like her big sister, Forever Unbridled is by Unbridled's Song out of Lemons Forever, who was also trained by Stewart and was a huge upset winner of the Kentucky Oaks

Perhaps this will be Forever Unbridled's day. She has won her last two races, the (G3) Comely at Aqueduct in November and the (G3) Houston Ladies Classic at Sam Houston in January.

“Hopefully, this will be her grade one. Knock on wood. We'll see on Friday,” said Coombs. “I feel great about the way she's coming in to this race. She's galloped three days over the track and handled it well,  and she's fresh. She's coming into form and it seems to be the right time for her. If she runs her race, it will be a good race. There's not really much to say until you put them in the gate and let them loose, but I feel really good about this filly.”

Forever Unbridled will have to be at her best.

The Apple Blossom field contains defending winner and champion Untapable, who has scored in a quintet of Grade 1 events, and Tara's Tango, who is at the top of her game with wins in the (G2) Santa Maria and the (G1) Santa Margarita at Santa Anita in her last two starts. Call Pat, who was victorious in the (G3) Bayakoa and the (G2) Azeri Stakes here in her last pair of efforts, and Streamline, second and third, respectively, in the Bayakoa and Azeri, absolutely love this track. Theogony, fourth in the Azeri, rounds out the field.

They have not scared away Forever Unbridled.

“She's impressed the hell out of me in her last two races. She's been real tactical, and really good at everything she's been doing," said Coombs. "She's a good filly to train. She has no problems, no issues, no health problems, nothing. She likes her job and is all you could want in one.”

Not only has Streamline been consistent at this year’s Oaklawn meeting, the 4-year-old daughter of Straight Line has been durable. She is scheduled to complete the grand slam of Oaklawn’s series of two-turn stakes races for older females this year in Friday’s $600,000 Apple Blossom Handicap (G1). No other horse can make that claim in 2016.

“That’s something,” trainer Brian Williamson said Thursday morning. “She’s doing great, and we’re looking forward to it.”

Streamline won the $100,000 Pippin Jan. 17 before finishing second in the $100,000 Bayakoa (G3) Feb. 14 and third in the $350,000 Azeri (G2) March 19. She was beaten just a half-length in the Bayakoa and three-quarters of a length in the Azeri.

“Actually, there wasn’t an allowance race for her and that’s kind of why we ran her in that first stake,” Williamson said of the Pippin. “Then she wins, then she runs second, then she runs third. It’s been a nice ride.”

This year, and throughout her career. Streamline has finished first, second or third in 10 of 11 lifetime starts and earned $200,276.