Fields Set for Downthedustyroad, Nodouble
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Jan’s Perfect Star looked like a star when she won her career debut by 12 lengths at the 2013 Oaklawn meeting. Now, a little more than two years later, Jan’s Perfect Star seeks her second career stakes victory in the $75,000 Downthedustyroad Breeders’ for Arkansas-bred filly and mare sprinters (3-year-olds and upward) Saturday at Oaklawn.
Probable post time for the Downthedustyroad, the sixth race on a nine-race program, is 3:39 p.m. (Central).
Jan’s Perfect Star, who is scheduled to break from the rail under Cliff Berry, is the 7-2 second choice in the program. But, the six-furlong Downthedustyroad, which drew a field of 12, will mark just the second start in a little more than year for Jan’s Perfect Star, a 6-year-old daughter of Imperialism who is owned by Dave Clark of Little Rock, Ark.
Clark privately purchased Jan’s Perfect Star following her dazzling February 2013 career debut. She won an Arkansas-bred stake in her next start and was good enough to beat open company at historic Saratoga (a second-level allowance sprint in August 2013). She won her 5-year-old debut early in the 2014 Oaklawn meeting but later had an ankle issue, trainer Randy Morse said.
Most recently, the mare was eased by jockey Walter De La Cruz in her Feb. 6 comeback race, a second-level/optional claiming sprint in open company. Morse said soundness isn’t an issue with Jan’s Perfect Star.
“My concern about her is if she’s fit enough,” Morse said Friday morning. “If she’s fit enough … she’s got a lot back class.”
The 5-2 program favorite is Pistolpackinpenny, who cuts back to a sprint after finishing second in a Feb. 19 state-bred allowance race at a mile. Trainer Jinks Fires has given the mount again to his son-in-law, Jon Court. Easter Shoes – one of three horses 4-1 on the morning line – exits a three-length Arkansas-bred allowance victory sprinting Jan. 29.
Little Miss Flurry (10-1 in the program) won the $50,000 Lady Razorback Futurity as a 2-year-old and finished second to Delta Flower in the $75,000 Rainbow Miss Stakes last March. She was favored over Easter Shoes in January, but finished a flat ninth in her 4-year-old debut. She returns to her original trainer, Karl Broberg, for the Downthedustyroad and adds blinkers.
The complete field for the $75,000 Downthedustyroad Stakes, in post position order, with riders and morning line odds: Jan’s Perfect Star, Cliff Berry, 7-2; Miss Beautiful, Don Simington, 9-2; Little Miss Flurry, Quincy Hamilton, 10-1; Easter Shoes, Terry Thompson, 4-1; Pistalpackinpenny, Jon Court, 5-2; Faith Rising, Jareth Loveberry, 4-1; Be My Caroline, Israel Ocampo, 15-1; Sugar Run Wild, Calvin Borel, 12-1; Miss Addicate, Ramon Vazquez, 12-1; Sweet Ruby Kate, Belen Quinonez, 30-1, Easter Indy, Walter De La Cruz, 4-1, and Pink Flash, Ricardo Santana Jr., 12-1.
MALLARD’S BRO SHORTENS UP FOR SHOT AT NODOUBLE BREEDERS’ STAKES
Mallard’s Bro bids for his second career stakes victory Saturday at Oaklawn in the $75,000 Nodouble Breeders’ Stakes for Arkansas-bred colts and geldings (3-year-olds and upward) at six furlongs. Probable post time for the seventh running of the Nodouble is 4:38 p.m. (Central). It goes as the eighth race on a nine-race program.
Trainer Al Cates said he’s using the Nodouble as a prep for the $75,000 Arkansas’ Breeders Stakes March 27, a 1 1/16-mile race that Mallard’s Bro won last year. The gelding opened his 5-year-old campaign with a one-length victory against state-bred allowance competition Feb. 15 at 1 1/16 miles.
Cates said Mallard’s Bro is “much better” around two turns, but a chance to run in restricted company for a sizable purse was too tempting.
“It didn’t work out just like we wanted,” Cates said Thursday morning. “We’d rather have the sprint first and then two routes, but he came out of that last race so good. He’ll be running late, so we thought it was worth the shot for that kind of money.”
Two-time defending Oaklawn riding champion Ricardo Santana Jr. is reunited with Mallard’s Bro, who is scheduled to break from post 8 in the bulky 14-horse projected field. Santana also rode Mallard’s Bro to victory in last year’s Arkansas Breeders’ Stakes. He will carry top weight of 123 pounds and is the 4-1 third choice in the program.
The 3-1 program favorite is Rock City Roadhog, who began his career with Cates in 2012 at Louisiana Downs. On behalf of Maggi Moss, trainer Chris Richard claimed Rock City Roadhog for $12,500 in August at Prairie Meadows in Iowa.
Rock City Roadhog, in his first start for his new connections, beat open $16,000 claimers Feb. 14. He is scheduled to break from post 14 under Shaun Bridgmohan and carry 117 pounds.
We Be Stormin, also trained by Cates, is the early 7-2 second choice after a Jan. 25 state-bred allowance victory sprinting under Ramon Vazquez, who retains the mount for the Nodouble.
The complete field for the $75,000 Nodouble Breeders’ Stakes, in post position order, with riders and morning line odds: Cody Law, Terry Thompson, 30-1; Best of Birdstone, Don Simington, 20-1; Proud Image, Cliff Berry, 10-1; Command a Bull, Joe Johnson, 20-1; Tour de Rock, Greta Kuntzweiler, 15-1; Bumpy Cat, Julio Felix, 5-1; Valid Bull, Luis Quinonez, 20-1; Mallard’s Bro, Ricardo Santana Jr., 4-1; Primetime Dancer, Alex Birzer, 20-1; Bud Ro, Channing Hill, 12-1; He is a Roadster, Jon Court, 15-1; We Be Stormin, Ramon Vazquez, 7-2; Dancing Stone, Floyd Wethey, 20-1 and Rock City Roadhog, Shaun Bridgmohan, 3-1.
Source: Oaklawn Park Press Release
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